Lunai sa: Book the Second
by Stefynae
Summary: The Return...of one woman who re-enters the lives of those at Hogwarts, and changes everything....again. The return of an old flame and an ancient darkness, while new talents and the past are revealed. For Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy fans.
1. Painful Reminders

NOTE:  This is the second part of my series.  It is vital to understand Reign; this information will only be obtained by reading the books in chronological order.  But I will try to do my best to explain things if you sneaky ones lay a fast one on me and skip right to this book.  Please read this story, it's here to be read, to be enjoyed, and to be reviewed.  Without reviews I think my stories are worthless.  That may just be me, but why else would we put stories online if we didn't want to hear what others think?  It doesn't take any time at all. Tell me you like it, tell me why.  Tell me you hate it, but tell me why.  Please help me become a better writer!  

Disclaimer:  Once again, as with all fanfiction stories, this one is from my imagination, using some characters that do not belong to me.  They belong to the master, J. K. Rowling.  How did we ever live without her?

***

**_Lunai-sä_**

_Book the Second: The Return_

CHAPTER ONE

PAINFUL REMINDERS

They were so graceful.  They danced.  They soared.  Like a majestic eagle or a peaceful dove.  Like the soft wind teasing the leaves of the trees.  Like the gentle waves rolling in the calm ocean.  Like a petal floating in the autumn air.  Like a beautiful song flowing through open ears.  Like an angel flying in Heaven.

He was staring.  He couldn't help it.  Her hands were unbelievable.  They moved so elegantly through the stiff and frigid air.  They reminded him of Her hands.  That was why he was staring.  There had been others, but this one was extraordinarily similar.  Similar to Her.  He was staring.  Mesmerized by their movements--their dance.  And then they stopped.  Stopped dancing.  And he stopped staring.

Now she was talking to him.  He seemed oddly familiar too.  He reminded him of someone.  Was history repeating itself?  What of this cruel joke that was being played out?  She wasn't just talking--she was flirting.  She laughed.  The sound echoed through the room--or maybe just his ears.  It was a joyous sound and a poisoned one at the same time.  She even sounded like Her.  The noise rang in his ears like deep church bells--a ringing that never really left even though the initial sound was lost.  

She hit him playfully.  With those hands.  He was staring again.  Her smile was brilliant.  It shined bright even in the dark atmosphere that surrounded her.  She had laugh lines that looked just like Hers.  Everything was a blur but her; she was in focus, and she was radiating.  It was a re-occurring dream.  Only it was real.  Or was it?  Was he still dreaming?  Dreaming of Her?  No, this was not a dream, though it seemed as such.  Everything was nothing to him.  Everything but her.  His quill fell from his fingers, spraying ink everywhere; but he was lost, and still he stared.

Her eyes were just as green as Hers were--just as luminous.  They laughed when she did.  Her hair fell gracefully across her face just as Hers had done.  It was soft and smooth.  The shadows from the harsh candlelight shone on her face.  A face that reminded him of Hers.  With hands that reminded him of Hers.

He stared.  Frozen.  She was looking back at him.  Staring.  Her head was tilted; she was confused.  Why was he staring at her?  She could see no emotions in his eyes.  They looked empty.  At least on the surface.  She stared--no longer laughing, or flirting, or moving her hands.  It was just them.  Staring.

***

            "Caelan?  Hey, snap out of it."  Stanton Raigo stood next to her.  He snapped his fingers in front of her face and when she didn't recover, he poked her in the side.  "Are you all right?"

            "Yeah, yeah.  I'm fine."  She took a quick glance at the man in the front of the classroom.  The man who had been staring at her.  He had looked away.  He was cleaning up the wasted ink.  She leaned over and whispered into Stanton's ear.  "That's the fifth time this week that I've caught Professor Snape staring at me."  The boy straightened up and smiled at her.  His dimples were so attractive.  As were his eyes, and his hair, and his lips...

It came from out of nowhere.  Or at least it seemed to have come out of nowhere.  It was only a small wad of paper that flew across the room and landed in her cauldron; but it was the velocity of the object that caused her potion to explode after impact.  The front of her robes were soaked.  Small holes started to form in them.  Her potion was not yet complete and was therefore eating her clothing.  It singed the spots it touched, digging through the layers, seeping down onto her skin.  

She screamed.  "Hayden!  You bastard!"  Laughing could be heard.  The Slytherins.  Who else would be so immature?  She threw off her robes.  Or at least what was left of them.  

            "Sorry, Decatur.  That was meant for Raigo's face," said Darius Hayden from across the room.  Caelan was about to protest, but Stanton retorted first.

            "Yeah well it's a shame your Quidditch game isn't any better than your aim."  Now the laughing came from the Gryffindors.  Darius and two of his brutes jumped from their seats and advanced on Raigo.  Caelan rolled up her sleeves; she had wanted to do him in for the longest time.  Arrows were shot from both directions and death threats were exchanged with eyes.  They were ready for battle.  Unfortunately a dark figure glided over and came to a halt between the opposing sides.

            "What is going on here?" asked a menacing voice.  The familiar sound chilled the girl's bones.  She tried to explain what had happened, but he cut her off.  "Whatever it is, it is not important.  Nothing is that important that it needs to lead to the disruption of this learning environment."  He turned toward the Slytherins.  "Get back to your potions."  Then he turned on Caelan and Stanton.  "You two do the same.  And Miss Decatur?"  He raised an eyebrow at her as she lazily raised her head to his.  "Clean up this mess."  She clenched her fists.  The Slytherin Quidditch captain walked by with an evil grin on his disgustingly pale face.

            "Yes, look at the mess you made, Decatur.  Clean it up."

            "I'll clean it up with your face," she replied.  He laughed at her weak comeback.  "Then again," she continued, "I don't think anything could help dissolve that hideous mask you're wearing."  The laughing stopped.  Hayden advanced on her again with his teeth gritted and veins pulsating in his neck.

            "You better watch what you say to me, Mudblood."  He had pushed the wrong button.  Caelan's eyes grew wide, as did those of others around her.  A great gasp spread through the room.  There was a moment of silence-a very tense moment of silence, but it didn't last long.  And then...she punched Hayden square in the jaw, drawing blood.  Now everyone from the Slytherin side of the room was on their feet, as was every Gryffindor.  Stanton grabbed Caelan's arms from preventing her from doing even more damage, but it was Professor Snape who had to stop Hayden from trying to kill her.

            "ENOUGH!" he spat as he pushed Caelan and Darius away from each other.  "I will not tolerate this sort of behavior in my class!"  The room went silent.  Caelan wriggled away from Stanton's grasp.  Darius used his hand to wipe away the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.  "Miss Decatur, apologize this instant."  Caelan sprang to life.

            "What?  But, I, he--" she stuttered, pointing an accusing finger at her rival, "he provoked me."

            "He was not the one who resorted to violence.  Apologize.  Now."  His eyes penetrated deep into Caelan's.  She would not give in to his control.  She sat back down.  Snape, in a fit of rage, took hold of her arm and lifted her clear out of her seat and onto the stone floor.  He didn't let go when he whispered menacingly into her ear; in fact, he squeezed even tighter.  "If I have to ask you again--" He didn't finish.  He didn't need to.  The threat was obvious.  The girl looked at Hayden and mumbled "Sorry".  She ripped her arm from the teacher's grasp and sat back down.  The boy was smiling.  Snape glared at him and pushed him back into his seat.  He stomped back to his desk, mumbling, "I'm sick and tired of putting up with you insolent jocks".  Before he sat down he said, "There will be no more disturbances in this classroom ever again.  Is that clear?"  His focus was on Caelan.  Everyone nodded their heads.  A few whispered, "Yes, Professor", but the girl remained motionless.  She just stared.  

***

NOTE: Pronunciation: Caelan (Kee-lin)-I know how annoying it was for me to read Hermione and not know how in the heck to pronounce her name, so I thought I'd help you out.  PLEASE REVIEW!


	2. Bleeding Hearts

Chapter Two: Bleeding Hearts

Caelan examined her arm as her professor took his seat.  He had left an impression on her.   She could still see the spots where his fingers had held her in a death grip.  The red marks emitted so much pain that it felt as if he was still holding on.  She rubbed the spot over and over again as she absent-mindedly stared at Snape.  He was no longer staring back, but she felt that--somehow, if she glared long and hard enough--she could set him on fire.  Stanton noticed her behavior and was quite concerned for his beloved Chaser.  He nudged her in the side again, but the smile he was wearing disappeared instantly as she whipped around and glared at him.  He turned away.

            "You shouldn't let him get to you, you know."  She ignored his comment.

            "I hate this school," was all that escaped her lips.  Stanton's head snapped to meet her face--a face that he thought loved Hogwarts (and if not that, at least loved Quidditch; and perhaps even him).

            "How can you say that?  This is supposed to be your second home!  What about your friends?  All the good times?  Quidditch for God's sake?  Isn't that worth your time here?"  Caelan rolled her eyes.  Quidditch ran his life.  It was sad in a way--how he put that game up on a pedestal--when he wasn't even _that great at it.  Or maybe she was just being biased._

            "Even Quidditch is not worth this hell that I have to go through."  Stanton couldn't believe his ears.  What was she talking about?  How could anyone not love Hogwarts?

            "Caelan--" he started as he put his hand on her shoulder.  The bell rang.  She shrugged it off and gathered her things.  Her arm still pulsated.  She hoped he hadn't popped a blood vessel.  That would just make her day.  She turned to leave and Stanton followed close behind her, still concerned and bewildered at her comments.  She was almost out of the door, almost safe, when she heard an icy black voice from behind her.

            "Miss Decatur, a moment if you will."  

He could see her heart drop through the floor.  Her shoulders fell and her belongings sagged.  He could hear her great sigh as if he had been standing right next to her.  Like Stanton.  The boy touched her shoulder again and whispered something into her ear.  Probably something like, "Don't worry about that bastard.  I'll save you a spot at dinner."  In fact, that was _exactly what Stanton said.  And who said Snape didn't know his students well?  _

Caelan turned around very slowly as the class emptied out into the hall.  She stayed fixated in her spot as Professor Snape gracefully got up from his seat and glided toward her.  Neither of them spoke.  He motioned her to follow him.  He led her into his office.  It was cluttered and slightly disorganized; it had a look like it once was impeccably clean, but had gotten increasingly messy over the years due to laziness--or perhaps something else.  He took his seat behind a great oak desk; she remained standing.  As soon as he sat down she began to ramble.

            "Sir, please, if this has anything to do with what happened today let me just say that what I did, I did to protect my integrity, my pride--"

            "A true Gryffindor," he mumbled.  She stopped.  Her mouth hung open.  She took on a new persona when she began again.

            "Am I going to get a detention?"

            "Yes," he answered flatly.  Caelan clenched her hands.  Her nails dug into her palms.  She was doing it again--trying to set him on fire with her mind.

            "That-is-not-fair.  If I were Hayden, I would not be receiving any punishment.  Just because I'm a Gryffindor--" she paused in her rant to jab her pointing finger at the spot between his eyes.  "You are discriminating against me."  The man looked up from the slip he was writing out for her, and was slightly amused at her state.  

            "Miss Decatur, it would be wise if you did not make assumptions about me."  Caelan lowered her finger.  "You hit a fellow student.  Whether you like it or not, Hogwarts does not allow that sort of behavior in the classroom."  She took a step forward and said through gritted teeth,

            "I did it in self defense."  

            "In what sense?" he challenged her.  His dark eyes bore into her hardened sockets.  She broke contact first.

            "You don't know what its like."  He put down his quill and folded his hands.

            "Then please, enlighten me," he said light-heartedly.  She spun around and glared at him.

            "I don't appreciate your mockery, sir."  It was a very brave move.  Snape looked like he had just been slapped, but he let her continue without interruption.  "No one knows what it's like.  Not even my friends and fellow _Gryffindors," he had distinctly heard her say that with malice.  __My my, he thought,__ this is intriguing.  "The stares, the smirks--the comments and threats.  Despite what Dumbledore says about this school being open to anyone who wishes to practice magic--he's wrong."  She started to tremble.  "It's unfair.  I feel like I don't belong.  Like I'm not worthy enough.  And when someone calls you a-" she stopped.  Tears were forming in her eyes.  Snape felt uncomfortable.  He shifted in his seat and waited for her to continue.  When she did she spoke slowly and with amazing imagery.  "It's like ripping your own heart out of your chest and holding it in your hands."  She cupped her hand as she continued.  "And then stabbing it--over, and over, and over again," she described this with the stone cold face of a statue.  Her other hand rose up and down in a stabbing motion.  It stopped only after Snape cleared his throat, hinting for her to move on.  "And then, instead of throwing it on the ground, or in the trash, you put it on your mantle--so it's always there, reminding you how unworthy you really are."  There was an uneasy pause, and then Caelan could hear the sound of ripping paper.  She looked up and noticed that her professor was replacing his quill and tossing the shredded bits of her detention slip in the trash.  The look on her face screamed out, '__What?'.  He almost laughed--almost.  _

            "You'd be surprised how familiar I am with your analogy."

            "Doubt it," she whispered.  He stopped breathing.  Here he was, taking pity on one of his students.  One of his female students.  One of his female _Gryffindor students, and she didn't even appreciate it._

            "My heart, pulled from my chest and stabbed over and over again, does not reside on my mantle."  The girl looked up from her hands.  "Instead, it was placed back in my chest.  So it would _always be with me."  His hands grasped the sides of his desk, as if they were the only thing stopping him from being hurled from it.  "No matter where I go, it is always there, reminding me, torturing me--" he drifted off.  The girl studied him in awe of what he just described; it was a breakthrough for him.  But it was short-lived.  When he came back he said, "You are free to go.  But this better not happen again."  Caelan got up slowly from her position and walked rigidly toward the exit, careful not to knock anything over so he wouldn't have any reason to keep her there.  But when she got to the door she stopped.  Something had been bothering her ever since he began staring at her.  She needed to know.  So she turned around.  He was looking out the window, his hands lying loosely on the table in front of him, he eyes gazing out into the evening sun.  She could almost see the bleeding heart he was referring to._

            "You should forget about her."  He met her gaze and tilted his head.  His hands pulled back into the folds of his robes and his heart closed up.  He waited for her to continue.  "The woman I remind you of.  You should forget about her."  The man's upper lip twitched.  

            "I'm afraid I do not know what you are referring to," he stated slowly and ominously.  She knew she was digging a deep hole for herself, but she continued anyway.

            "I've seen the way you look at me in class.  You look hurt and confused, like I remind you of someone who hurt you.  And the bleeding heart analogy kind of wrapped it up."  He refused to meet her eyes--her soft, green eyes.  So instead he stared at his desk.  He could still feel her presence.  She was nervous, but she was brave.  He didn't know of anyone else who would speak to him like she was now.  He wasn't sure if he could handle it.  She wasn't sure if she was getting a reaction or not.  She wasn't even sure if she was completely accurate, but she continued.  "It's obvious she's not coming back, so you might as well forget about her."  She paused, and when no sign of movement could be seen, she turned to leave.

            "It's not that easy," he whispered.  What was he doing?  Letting a student get into his head like this.  She smiled to herself before she turned around again.

            "Sure it is--" he cut her off.

            "If it was that easy I would have done it by now."  He was glaring at her now.  She backed away, sensing the malice in his voice and eyes.  Maybe she had gone too far.  Nah.

            "Well if you are so easily reminded of her, why can't you just as easily forget?"

"Perhaps that is my problem.  As long as you are around I can't forget.  So perhaps _you are my problem."  Every muscle in his body tensed up, as every muscle in hers sank.  What had she done?  He was finally, almost opening up to someone.  But she had gone far enough under his skin.  He was scratching now.  She just had to open her hole and ruin everything.  She had a propensity for that sort of behavior.  She turned and strolled out of his office, not caring if she knocked anything over--luckily she didn't.  But when she slammed the door on the way out, bottles shook and tables rattled, and something fell from a shelf above the Potions master.  It landed on his desk.  It was a jewel--an emerald--tied to a leather string.  It was flipped on its back.  Through the layers of dust the letters __S.S. + R. C. could be seen.  The stone had lain dormant for 18 years.  '__It's obvious she's not coming back.' the words rang in his ears, echoing throughout his brain, flowing down into his heart.  His bleeding heart.  He took the stone and hurled it with all his might against the wall.  Unfortunately, it remained in tact as it fell to the floor.  Severus Snape grabbed his greasy black hair.  His body shook and his eyes were shut tight.  But no matter how tightly they were closed, the tears still managed to slip silently out of them._


	3. Just in Case

Chapter Three: Just in Case

Severus grabbed his face and wiped the disgraceful tears from his shallow cheeks.  It had been a long time since he had cried, and he wasn't about to make it a habit again.  He sat and stared for quite a while, trying to forget about everything.  But his mind kept drifting back to what Caelan had said.

            '_It's obvious she's not coming back.'  _

She was right.  If she hadn't come back by now she was never coming back.  All he needed to do was accept that, and then maybe his life could be normal again.

But it wasn't that easy.  There was a place, deep inside his heart, where a small hint of hope still resided.  Maybe she would come back.  She would run into his arms and say it was all a mistake and they would kiss.  He could almost taste her sweet lips upon his own.  He had tried to forget, he tried almost every ten seconds, but it was no use.  No matter how often he told himself that she was never coming back, a part of him still had hope.

But that part also enraged him.  He stopped staring—his eyes were now ablaze—and swept his arms over his desk.  Parchment and ink flew in every direction, shattering on the floor and creating a mess.  He yanked open his bottom drawer and pulled a bottle from it.  He wasn't usually the drinking type.  But recent events had turned him to that sort of behavior.  He pulled the top out and took a long, slow swig of the alcohol.  It burned as it slid down his throat.  It was disgusting and bitter, and something he didn't particularly enjoy doing.  But he did it anyway.  Anything to get his mind off of her.  When he dragged the bottle from his lips he coughed.  He slammed the whisky down onto his desk and gasped for air.  Alcohol was poison, but he didn't care.  He didn't care if it killed him.  

He sat back in his chair, the bottle hanging loosely from his fingers.  His robes draped over his body and his hair covered his face.  He brushed it back with his long, pale fingers as he brought the bottle back up to his eyes.  He looked intently at the label, which promised 'a good time' to any and all that drank its contents.  He smiled.  What a lie.  He stuffed the cork back into the hole at the top of the bottle and threw it back into the drawer.  No amount of drinking could give _him 'a good time', especially when he was alone.  He got up from his chair and straightened his robes.  As he brushed back his hair his eyes fell upon the necklace lying on the stone floor of his office.  He glided over and picked it up.  It was heavier than he remembered.  He should've destroyed it.  But that place in his heart told him to hang on to it.  __Just in case.  He hadn't worn it in a long time.  But something, some deep power within him, took control of his hands.  They took hold of the string and let the emerald dangle in front of him.  Then they slowly put the jewel around his neck, tucking it under his shirt, away from prying eyes.  He picked up the parchment and the inkbottle that had fallen on the floor during his fit, and with a wave of his wand the ink stains disappeared.  Then he strode out of the room, with the emerald bouncing against his chest with every step, like a second heart beat to match his own._

_Just in case.      _

***

The sights and smells that filled the Great Hall that evening were incredibly intense.  And the noise was excruciating.  Snape's hands instinctively covered his ears as he took his seat at the table for dinner.  He let them fall slowly as he became accustomed to the sounds of the students.  There were so many of them--almost too many.  He glanced around, surveying each of the tables.  His eyes stopped at the Gryffindor table.  There was Caelan, poking at her food while Stanton Raigo talked into her ear.  It was obvious he annoyed her.  He smirked at the sight.  Three seats down sat Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.  Snape scowled.  He was surprised they hadn't gotten themselves in trouble yet this year.  But it was only the second month into the term; there was still plenty of time for that.  An obnoxious sound came from his left.  Albus Dumbledore was having a fit of laughter.  This did not help Snape's mood.  He went for his goblet and drank the sweet juice that occupied it; it was quite welcome after the harsh whiskey.  When he put it down he noticed a few of the students were looking at him strangely.  He glared at them and they turned away, but the curious feeling still lingered in the air around him.  

            "Severus?" asked Professor Sprout from his immediate left.

            "Yes?" he replied, irritated.

            "Is there something wrong with your shirt?"  Severus looked down.  Underneath his pitch-black clothing a dull green light could be seen.  His heart stopped.  The fork in his hand dropped onto the table.  Time stood still.  Nothing seemed to move, except his head.  He looked up just as the doors to the Hall swung slowly open.


	4. A Visitor

Chapter Four:  A Visitor

It was a soul-devouring sound--the sound of silence.  The absence of any and all noise.  Some would say you could have heard a pin drop: others, an eyelash.  Not even the mesmerizing flames of the ceiling candles flickered.  Nor did the sweet liquids filling the numerous goblets ripple.  No one's hair swayed with the air currents that flowed regularly through the vast room; in fact, even the gentle winds remained still.  If anyone was breathing, no one could tell.  It was as if everyone was trapped in a Muggle photograph; it was a ghostly painting.  

            All heads were turned toward the entrance.  Hundreds of eyes stared blankly.  No one blinked.  Their faces registered no other emotion but shock.  Everyone stood fixated in their seats; no one knew what to do.  They weren't even thinking.  The only person who seemed to be alive was Albus Dumbledore.  After setting down his goblet he rose from his chair.  They had a visitor.

            She was hurt, that was obvious.  Blood trickled steadily and silently from her side, brow, and mouth.  Her silver white hair was mangled and matted to her face--her filthy, dirt-laden face.  Her clothes hung loosely around her body, most of them ripped to shreds.  She looked old, too old for her age.  One hand grasped her left side, where the skin was ripped open and withered back to reveal what could only be the muscles of her torn abdomen.  The other hand helped her worn body ease its way to the ground.  She did this most ungracefully, which—for those who knew her—was completely out of character.  Her powerful legs fell out from under her and she hit the floor with a dull and painful thud.  By this time a few students had been recalled to life and stood up, but did not cease their gawking.  The woman raised her weary head to the front of the room, oblivious to her surroundings.  She parted her cracked lips and whispered something barely audible to those around her.  It was a name.  A name she had dreamt about, and loved—perhaps still loved, though she wasn't quite sure, for it had been so long.  Too long.  It was a name she had shattered.  Her vision was swiftly parting with her brilliant emerald eyes, where great bags hung under the crusted jewels.  Despite her quandary she could still make out the rough outline of a dark figure.  Unlike those around him, he still sat, frozen, like a statue—a cold, hard, stone, phlegmatic statue.  Everything that had happened in the past hour, in the past eighteen years, was obliterated from his memory.  That part of his life was completely razed in that one horrific moment.  There were absolutely no emotions residing in his rigid body.   It was just them again.  But then the feelings came rushing back--love, respect, admiration, betrayal, frustration, anger, confusion--he couldn't rid his mind of the latter.  Caelan's words came floating into his conscious.

            "_It's obvious she's not coming back."_

It was obvious that she was.

The woman's head dropped heavily upon the marble floor of the hall.  Her luminous eyes lost their radiance and rolled into the back of her head.  The rasping breath that had interrupted her sweet voice diminished rapidly.  Her hand left her side, and her fingers curled open—motionless, and lifeless.  Her chest rose at a slower and slower pace until it finally stopped.  The blood flow from her wounds ceased, and she took her last breath as all life floated out of her body.  

The emerald that hung from the man's neck dulled in its glow, and eventually returned to its dormant state.  There was no power left in it, no life flowing through, no light shining in the darkness that was his soul.

            "Severus," she had said.  

The man still remained motionless--even after Albus and the rest of the staff jumped from their seats and ran to her limp body.  The noise started up again, but Severus did not hear it.  He had lost all of his senses.  His eyes were colder and emptier than they had ever been.  His head pounded, as did his heart—stabbed and broken.  However this organ was no longer in his chest—it had fallen through his body and was now lying on the floor.  He could not take control of his muscles in order to pick it up and dust it off, so he let it sit by his feet.  Eighteen years.  Eighteen years since they had seen or spoken to each other, and now she was here.

But she was dead.          

***

NOTE: This is short, and I apologize.  But hey, I need to create tension, right?  PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. Recalled to Life

Chapter Five

Recalled to Life

"Will she be all right Albus?"

            "I don't know, Minerva.  I just don't know."

            "But surely she can't--"

            "Poppy has done all she can, and that's more than we can ask.  All we can do now is wait."

The rumbling became clearer as the voices grew louder, though they were still whispers.  A mouse scampered across the linoleum floor.  A window was open, and the wind whistled through the drapes.  It was her hearing that was the first sense to return to her.  She could hear the scuffle of feet as the two adults shifted uneasily where they stood.  As she tried to figure out whom the voices belonged to, a tingling sensation spread through her entire body as her muscles aroused from their sleep.  A million needles pricked every crevice, making her want to scratch uncontrollably.  Everything hurt; she was in so much pain.  But she didn't care how she felt, as long as she could _feel again.  The voices, they belonged to a man and a woman.  They sounded worried.  Worried about her.  She could here the sighs and sense the frustration.  Things came back to her even slower than they had drifted away; she longed to stretch her aching back but her body would not yet let her.  So she laid there, her eyes still closed, for her sight was the last thing to return.  She began to breath a little deeper.  She began to remember.  She shut her closed eyes even tighter as the memories flooded her mind.  She clenched her hands and dug her nails into her palms as she started to relive the events.  The woman's muscles were now fully awake; they began to endure spasms, which caught the two figures' eyes.  She thrashed even more, and the older woman became more concerned.  _

            "Albus, shouldn't we wake her?"

            "No, it would be too dangerous."  He did not give an explanation as to why, but the woman knew better than to question him.  So she sat with her arms crossed, looking over her glasses at the troubled woman.  The man went to the side of the bed and sat down in a chair.  He placed his hand on top of hers, and she immediately relaxed.  Her eyes opened slowly.  Her vision was not yet back to its full potential; everything was blurry.  Dark colors mixed together to form an abstract painting that she could not comprehend.  But one color struck her in particular--white.  She turned her heavy head to the man sitting next to her.  She held his hand tight as tears welled up in her eyes.  

            "Father?" she whispered.  The man looked down, sad and tired.  The tears fell, and she could see more clearly.  She registered the half moon spectacles and the hooked nose.  

            "No, child," he whispered back.  She looked up into his eyes, tears forming all the same.

            "Albus."  She smiled--it even hurt to smile.  It faded quickly for she was afraid her jaw would fall into her lap.  She squeezed his hand even tighter.  "It's so good to see you again."  The old man smiled.

            "It is good to see you also."  He looked up at the woman who was watching them intently.  "She's fine, Minerva.  You may go now."  The old witch looked at the woman and smiled.

            "Welcome back, Reign."

            "Thank you," she breathed.  The older woman nodded to Albus.  He returned it.  She turned on her heel and strode out of the room.  She nearly hit the ceiling when she reached the door, for someone had been listening to their conversation.

            "Severus!"  She grabbed her heart, weary that it had stopped.  Severus Snape shot straight up off the wall and straightened his robes.  He smoothed back his hair and glared at the woman.  She smiled to herself, remembering the reason he was probably there.  "She's going to be fine."  He looked away.  She smiled out loud, and left him standing outside the Infirmary.  He moved closer to the entrance, trying to listen to all that was going on inside.

Every time her chest movement peaked her eyes closed as she inhaled the sterile atmosphere of the Infirmary.  Albus waited patiently for her to return to her normal self; Severus waited impatiently.  He was about to leave when he heard someone stir.  The sheets scraped across her body as she stretched and groaned.  It felt so good to stretch.  Her mouth hung open as a great yawn escaped her lips.  She laid one hand over her head on her pillow, and took the Headmaster's hand in her other.  She gazed into his twinkling eyes, and she started her story without being told.

            "It was three nights ago.  I was sleeping, or at least trying to.  The ground started to shake.  I looked outside and all I could see was a sea of black.  It washed over our village, killing everyone who came in contact with it."  She shut her eyes and gripped the man's hand tighter.  "No one could stop them.  There were too many of them.  They had caught us off-guard.  Even the strongest men in the army, even Jonah--" she stopped.  Tears fell silently down her soft cheeks.  Albus stroked her hand.

            "It's all right.  Take your time," he said soothingly.  She took a deep breath and began again.

            "They destroyed everything and everyone.  I tried to help as many people escape as I could, but it wasn't enough.  There was about a thousand people living in our city."  She shut her eyes again.  "Now only about a hundred remain."  The man's head dropped.  How hard that must have been for her.  "It happened so fast.  Our village of thousands of years, wiped out in one night."  Her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed.  "I remember everything.  The brilliant colors of the curses, the horrible screams of the children--" her voice cracked and her eyes closed.  "And that laughter.  That terrifying laughter."  She shivered as she recalled the sound.  She arched her back to make it stop, then she relaxed and stared up at the ceiling.  "He was looking for me, Albus."  She sat up very slowly, and the man did not stop her.  "Voldemort was looking for me."  He didn't seem surprised that it was the Dark Lord she had been speaking of.  

            "He was after your potion?"

            "Yes.  But I told him that I had destroyed it, which was true!  He didn't believe me, or maybe he did and was just disappointed.  But nevertheless he killed all those people--all because of me!"  The tears poured out of her eyes but she stared straight ahead, trying to forget.  Albus didn't have the heart to tell her it wasn't her fault, for that would be a lie.  And he was disheartened because of it.  She wiped the tears from her eyes and started another fragment of her story.

            "I was the last one out, as far as I could tell.  Everyone that was still alive had run off in different directions.  I couldn't find anyone.  So I ran.  I ran to the only place I could think of."  She turned and looked at Albus, dried tears streaked her face and her eyes were large and soft.  "I didn't know where else to go.  I'm sorry."  She looked down into her hands as the old man straightened up.

            "Sorry?"  He laughed.  "Don't be _sorry for coming here.  We are always glad to have you.  I'm __honored that you chose Hogwarts."  He smiled down at her.  "But I do wonder how you managed to run for three days with that large gash in your side."  Reign had all but forgotten about the pain from her wound.  But the memory of it ignited the agony.  She clenched the scar as she remembered._

            "Voldemort gave this to me.  A curse that he said would consume me slowly, eating away at my body until there was nothing left.  Then it would devour my soul."  Dumbledore's eyes grew wide.  "It started out as a small scratch, but it grew--" she stopped.  "Obviously."  Now all she had left was a scar.  "I bet Poppy had her work cut out for her."  Albus laughed again.

            "She certainly did.  Especially since you were--" he paused.  "Since you weren't with us."  She smiled.  She wasn't about to tell him what it was like to die; he would find out sooner or later.  The old wizard stood up from his seat and straightened his robes.  "Well, you are welcome to stay here as long as you wish."  

            "Thank you Albus.  Thank you so much."

            "I'm not sure I should be the one you're thanking."  His eyes drifted over her head as Poppy walked toward them.  She smiled and they returned it.

            "Glad to see you're all right Reign.  We were getting worried about you."  She placed a water jug onto the table next to the bed.  Before she could stand up, the woman grasped her hands and held them tight.

            "Thank you Poppy.  Thank you for resurrecting me."  Madam Pomfrey's eyes widened a bit.

            "Well, I wouldn't exactly call it that--"

            "No, no.  That's _exactly what you did.  Thank you so much."  She lifted the woman's hands and kissed them gently.  Poppy felt a warm current flow through her body.  She looked from Albus, who was smiling, to Reign, who had just given the most sincere gratitude in the history of such gratefulness.  She pulled her hands away from Reign's grasp and laid them on top of her hands.  _

            "Your very welcome."  They both smiled at each other.  Albus sidestepped to the edge of the bed, ready to leave.  Reign lowered herself back onto her pillow.  The light from the candles created shadows that danced across the ceiling.  She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the dancing had stopped.  Madam Pomfrey had blown out the candles.  She was bathed in darkness, but could still hear the shuffle of feet.  

            "Goodnight, Reign," said Albus.  He whispered his thanks to Poppy and wished her a good night also.  Reign heard him leave the room.  Severus was still waiting outside as the Headmaster exited the Infirmary.  Albus did not seem as surprised to see him as Professor McGonagall had.  He placed a hand on his shoulder and looked into his black eyes.  "Are you going to be all right, Severus?"  He seemed genuinely concerned.  

            "Yes, I'll be fine," he mumbled as he turned to leave.  Albus watched him as he stalked down the hall.  He hoped that the Potions master would be fine.  He was a changed man since the last time Reign had come into their lives; he had become a bitter man.  Albus hoped that he could change again.

Poppy folded her hands and walked to the end of the bed.  She whispered to her patient.

            "Get some sleep, child.  You've been through a lot."  

She couldn't have been more right.

***

NOTE: I suppose I should state that the title of this chapter is from the book A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.  If you've read it, you will understand.  If not, well, that's OK too.  It's a pretty good book, but not worth the two hundred pages it takes to get to the good part (the end).  Nevermind, I'm rambling.  A/N: The Book the First and Book the Second thing is also from that novel.  Hope you're enjoying this!


	6. Morning

Chapter Six

Morning

It was lucky for Reign that Madam Pomfrey had administered a sleeping potion to her, for if she hadn't, Reign never would have fallen asleep.  But she had, and it was the first time she had slept peacefully in almost a week.  The potion blocked dreams, and more importantly, nightmares.  Her night had been uneventful, and she was most thankful for it.  

Reign breathed deep as her mind and body awoke to the morning.  The sun squeezed through a gap in the curtains and shone directly at the woman's closed eyes.  She squinted and groaned as the light registered through her dark lids.  She turned her head to avoid its brilliance, but it didn't help as much as she hoped.  So she pulled her sheets over her head and regretted waking up at all.  The sheets suffocated her so she threw them off, only to be bombarded by the enemy that was sunlight.  She sighed in frustration and sat up.  Her body screamed out to her to stop moving so fast and so soon.  Every muscle ached.  She lifted her hands to rub her eyes of sleep and even that took an enormous amount of energy.  Her arms fell to her side when she was through with them.  Ignoring her pain, she threw back her covers and dangled her legs off the side of the bed, determined to rid the room of the dreaded sun.  She stretched slowly and thoroughly, even flexing her toes to make sure they still existed.  Then she sat, for quite awhile, still in the process of becoming fully awake.  Sitting, not really wanting to move, with her back bent forward and her hair falling in her face, shielding her view of the floor.  Her eyes did not blink; she was lost in a daze.  Soon she arched her eyebrows and closed her eyes and breathed deep once more.  Her lips twitched and her calves jerked.  She tapped her fingers on the mattress and blinked.  The light from the window pulled her head toward that direction.  It was so bright.  She rolled off the bed and staggered toward the source of the tormenting light.  But when she reached the spot--instead of drawing the curtains tighter to rid the room of the beam --she threw back the drapes, and the sun streamed into the room, lighting all that faced it and casting shadows on all that defied it.  Reign shut her eyes and turned her head away.  It took awhile, but she slowly opened them as she became accustomed to the radiance.  The world outside her window became clearer with each blink of her eye.  The grass was wet from the morning dew, and a light haze drifted above the ground.  Birds sang from their nests in the trees, awakening all that heard their songs.  A squirrel scampered across the grass, its tail floating ghostly behind it.  Reign went one step further and opened the window.  A shiver ran down her spine as the cool morning air crept into the room.  She hugged herself as goosebumps popped up on her skin, but she held strong and did not close the window.  She let go of her body and placed her hands on the sill, breathing in the smells of the morning.  The air was crisp and fresh, and it helped to renew her senses.  The songs of the birds were louder, but still soothing and pleasant.  She could hear the wind rustle the leaves of the trees, and she could see the luminous colors of the sky stretch toward her from the horizon.  It was a beautiful morning.

She was interrupted by the sound of a door swinging open and shutting behind her.  She spun on her bare feet to meet Madam Pomfrey's disapproving glare.  Her arms were crossed and she tapped her foot impatiently.

            "You are not fully recovered yet, Reign.  I suggest you lie back down."  Her patient shuffled back to the bed.  She threw herself on top of it, not caring to be under the covers.  Poppy patted her legs and she lifted them up into the air as the nurse pulled the sheets back.  When Reign lowered her limbs again, the woman pulled the sheets over her and up to her shoulders.  "You still need to rest," she said.  Reign nodded.  Then she yawned.  Afterwards she looked Poppy in the eye, and the nurse could sense her eagerness to get out of the Infirmary.  She grinned.  "Give it a few more hours, then you _might be able to leave."  Reign smiled.  "But only if you stay put and try to sleep."  The woman nodded, understanding.  Poppy padded the covers and went over to the window.  The sunlight disappeared back out the window as she drew the curtains closed.  The room fell dark once more, but a faint glow could still be seen from beneath the drapes.  The day would go on, even without Reign. _

***

Severus Snape paced around his office.  It had been a very long night for him.  Unlike Reign, he did not have Poppy's miracle sleeping potion to help him sleep.  He had tossed and turned all night.  And he thought all night.  It was dangerous for him to think these days, especially when he was thinking about Her.  His lack of sleep was evident from his appearance.  His raven hair fell into his eyes, and his sore muscles refused to remove it.  His normally correct and graceful posture was missing as he slunk back and forth through the room.  His skin was even more pale than usual, and great bags hung under his tired eyes.  But still he paced.

He felt as if he was going to pass out; he had been thinking for too long.  His head pounded.  What was going to happen now?  What was going to happen now that She was back?  She paralyzed him when She came into the Hall the previous day.  She looked awful, near death.  She had died.  But he couldn't move.  He couldn't run to Her and hold Her and tell Her everything was going to be OK.  He was too shocked to do anything.  And in a very deep corner of his mind, a voice was telling him that he didn't _want to do anything.  A part of him enjoyed seeing Her suffer.  After all, it was only fair after what She did to him.  It was a horrible thing to think, but he couldn't help it.  He had been thinking too long.  _

His thoughts were disrupted as a glass beaker fell to the floor, shattering his stream of consciousness.  He jumped back as the glass pieces flew in his direction, determined to embed themselves in his leg.  He pulled his wand from his robes and waved the mess away.  Had he knocked that over?  Of course he had, there was no one else in the room.  He hadn't even noticed he had bumped into anything.  Yes, thinking was definitely dangerous for him.  

He stood in the middle of his office, his wand dangling loosely from his right hand.  He was half-tempted to walk over to his desk and pull out his whiskey bottle.  He shook his head and cursed himself.  He needed to pull himself together.  Going for alcohol at ten o' clock in the morning was definitely a sign of weakness.  And Severus Snape was not a weak man.  Besides, he had a class to teach in fifteen minutes.  That was just what he needed.  Some whiney annoying first years that had no more knowledge of potion making or the desire to learn about it than a rock.  He sighed.  He was a mess.  What was happening to him?  Was it Her?  His upper lip curled.  He would not let it be Her.  He shoved his wand back in his robes and stalked toward the door. 

He would not let Her get to him.

He slammed the door behind him, and a few more beakers fell to the ground.  But he did not turn back.  He would not clean up the mess.  


	7. The Journey Begins

Chapter Seven

The Journey Begins

            "Poppy, if you do not let me out of this bed, I'm going to lose my mind."  

A petite coarse hand removed itself from Reign's forehead.  Its owner chuckled.  

            "I know, I know.  But we can never be too sure."  She reached for a liquid remedy on the table, and grabbed the spoon lying next to it also.  Reign's face contorted as the nurse shoved the foul potion down her throat.  She spat and coughed when it had slid down into her stomach, burning the whole way.  

            "Honestly," she gasped, "you'd think that with all your magic, you could manage to concoct a better flavor for your medications."  Poppy laughed again.

            "If that was the case, everyone would have their own medicine, and I'd be out of the job."  Reign shook her head.  She was right.  She reached for a glass of water to wash the sickening taste from her tongue, but was disappointed to find her water had warmed overnight.  She spat the liquid back into her glass and slammed it down on the table.  Poppy, meanwhile, was checking over her wounds.  She still had a rather large scar on the side of her abdomen.  But that, Poppy figured, she would always have.  She also had a few minor scratches on her hands and above her right eye.  It made her look as if she was constantly scowling, even if she wasn't.  At the moment, however, she was.  The nurse twisted and pressed into Reign's muscles, asking if anything still hurt.  They did, everything did, but Reign refused to admit it.  Despite her fondness of Madam Pomfrey, she longed to get up and _move again.  _

            "For the hundredth time, Poppy, I'm fine.  Really--" she winced as the woman poked at her calf.  Madam Pomfrey's head shot up, a delightful expression crossing her face.  Luckily Reign recovered quickly, and the woman's smirk faded quickly.  She sighed and let go of her tender leg, and wiped her hands on her apron.  Reign could tell she was disappointed.  

As she gathered her things, she said reluctantly, "Well, I suppose you're well enough to leave."  Reign practically leapt from her bed.  "But--" Her joy was suppressed.  She braced herself as the woman continued.  "If anything starts to hurt," she penetrated her eyes, taking on a very serious tone, "and I mean _anything, you'd better get your tail back here __immediately.  Understood?"  Reign smiled._

            "You have my word."

Madam Pomfrey finished packing her equipment, and Reign helped gather her sheets for the wash.  As the nurse collected them, Reign stared down at her new pajamas.  New, perhaps, was an understatement.  They were new to her, but to the world they were old.  A pair of blue-striped flood pants and matching long-sleeved shirt covered her body.  They smelled musky, which she presumed as them belonging to a male.  She wrinkled her nose, but she had no other clothing to wear.  She didn't even have shoes.  

            "Oh yeah," Poppy said, her voice muffled through the pile of sheets.  She managed to pull out a slip of paper from her apron and handed it to Reign.  "Professor Dumbledore said there would be clothes for you in your room."  She shifted the load in order to meet Reign's eyes.  "Good luck."  Reign looked at her with her eyebrow slightly raised.  Poppy winked, and turned around.  Shuffling the whole way through the room, and out a door on the other side, she left Reign standing in the Infirmary, with directions to her new home.  

***

Reign felt like a complete idiot walking around the school barefoot and in pajamas.  She was so glad that Poppy had released her when classes were still in session.  She probably would not have been able to live with herself if any of the students had caught her in her present state.  But because she wasn't sure when classes were let out, she walked quickly to her destination, following the Headmaster's directions with a deadly accuracy.  She stalked silently through the dimly lit halls and up the moving staircases, stopping only if she heard footsteps.  

This happened on one very frightful occasion, and she threw herself up against the wall, paralyzed.  Her ears perked as she listened for signs of movement.  She heard them, soft and stealthy, coming from an adjacent hall.  She peered around a corner and spotted Hogwarts' caretaker, Mr. Filch, sulking down the corridor with his faithful cat, Mrs. Norris, leading the way.  She acted quickly—bounding up the steps and into the next opening—just as Filch poked his head into the main stairwell, sniffing and scanning for stray students.  Once he was satisfied that there weren't any victims, he retracted his head and continued on his way.

When she was sure he was gone Reign released the breath she had been holding.  Her heartbeat fell to a normal pace, and her hands stopped their shaking.  She picked up the paper, ripped from her hands in the heat of the moment, and residing a few steps below her.  She rubbed a sore spot on her lower back as she rose up.  She felt old, and realized she looked it too, with throwing out her back like she had.  She laughed in spite of herself.  But it was a cautious laugh, for she was unsure that her strength would ever fully return to her.  

She had ducked into the correct hall, and proceeded north on the seventh floor.  She passed a painting that she knew to be quite familiar, though it took her awhile to place it.  A plump woman sat sleeping in the portrait, snoring noisily with every inhalation.  Reign stepped slowly up to the wall, careful not to disturb the lady.  She caressed the golden frame, trying to remember what significance it had in her life.  She ran her hands up and down as she closed her eyes.  She saw, in the darkness of her lids, the swirling colors of crimson and gold.  She fell into the powerful colors, inviting and spellbinding.  As she fell, her ears picked up a noise.  She heard, from the depths of her mind, a mighty roar.  It was brave and courageous, but it frightened her.  It was something that she had tried to be like, something that had failed her, and something that she was too scared to be like again.  Her eyes sprang open and she jumped from the wall, breathing heavy.  The lady was still asleep.  The Fat Lady of Gryffindor Tower.  

A nervous smile spread her lips as she swept passed the portrait and onward toward her destination.  As she walked, a light wind rustled her hair.  She twisted to meet its source—an open window to her left.  As she turned, her hand flew to her eyes, which were being attacked by the harsh sunlight.  She stepped toward the window and tripped over a loose stone in the floor.  Her hands flew out to catch hold of anything.  They caught the windowsill, and a good thing they did—anything lower and Reign's head would have met an ugly fate on the cold stone ground.  She pulled herself up and steadied her body against the wall below the window.  The birds were no longer singing, but merely chirping.  The grass was dry: the breeze, warm.  Reign looked up into the sky, and her eyes fell upon a cloudless void.  For as far as she could see there was nothing but peace in the world.  

She rotated from the window and went on her way, leaving it open to the corridor.  At last she came upon a great oak door.  It was eight feet tall and rounded at the top.  The brass handle was cool in her palm as she pushed the gate open and walked into her new home.

***

NOTE:  Thank you for your reviews.  I know what you are thinking, "Get on with it already!" *Laughs devilishly*I'm going as fast as I can!


	8. Alone

Chapter Eight

Alone

Reign released an awestruck sigh as she stepped into the room.  It was definitely larger than her room back home, and tremendously superior to her dorm was she was a student at Hogwarts.  The king size bed would not have even fit through the door of her old dorm room.  It was covered with dark forest green satin sheets and a soft camel colored comforter.  The head and baseboards were of a brilliant maple, carved with the Hogwarts crest and the animals that represented the four houses.  She went to the headboard and placed her hand on the snake.  It looked calm and mysterious in the wood, but it had a glint in its eye that looked malicious.  She pulled her hand away and walked slowly around the space, soaking everything in.  There were two large windows on either side of the bed, which stood opposite and a little left to the door.  A small nightstand stood next to the bed, with an antique lamp sitting on top.  An enormous fireplace was opposite of the bed, which lay dormant at the time.  To the right was the bathroom, which was just as majestic as the main room.  A large marble bathtub sat in the corner, and the walls were laden with earth tones--greens and blues mostly--which provided for a very relaxing atmosphere.  She stepped back out into the main room and crossed it slowly.  Two armchairs sat in front of the fireplace, covered with crushed velvet of a green hue.  A bookcase took up the south wall, filled with at least a hundred books that Reign was sure she had never read.  She proceeded into the next room, which was her study.  Taking up most of the space was a solid oak desk, finished and polished with not a hint of dust anywhere on it.  Reign registered that the entire area was dust-free, and she wondered if they did this for her or if she was not the most recent person to stay in the rooms.  There were more bookshelves on three of the walls, but they were empty.  She was not sure if she would ever fill them.  On the fourth wall stood four windows, each with heavy dark navy drapes surrounding them.  She looked out one of the windows, and noticed the darkening sky.  She turned back and headed out to the main room once again, stopping as she noticed a great rug covering the stone floor.  It was an Asian print, with abstract vines and bamboo woven into the fabric.  She followed one stalk until she met its end, covered by the foot of a great wardrobe adjacent to her bed.  She walked over to it and opened the heavy doors.  They groaned as she pulled them open, expecting to find something magical in it, but alas, there was nothing.  Not even dust.  She closed the doors and walked over to the bed.  She hadn't noticed that there was a pile of clothes sitting at the edge when she first walked in, but as she sat right next to them now it was hard for her not to notice.  There was a hooded black cloak on top, followed by a red sweater and a pair of khaki pants.  A pair of old brown leather shoes was at the bottom, with an even older green sock stuck in each.  She drew out the socks and pulled them over her cold bare feet.  The left one had a hole in the big toe.  She sighed at the ridiculous attire, but at the same time was thankful for Dumbledore's effort.  

She sat at the edge of the bed, staring for quite some time, before falling back onto the soft covers and staring up at the ceiling.  It must have been at least twenty feet high, which explained why Reign didn't feel so claustrophobic walking in.  She wished she could enchant it to make it like the Great Hall ceiling, reflecting the sky outside, for she wished she could see the stars at night.  She put her hands behind her head and stared at the dark space.  Just then there was a knock on the door.  Reign sprang to life and walked swiftly to the source of the tapping.  She pulled open the door to meet Albus Dumbledore's twinkling eyes.  He smiled at her, and she returned it.  

            "Albus, please come in."  She moved aside to let the old man pass.  He took up her offer and floated into the room, surveying its condition.

            "Those house elves are marvelous creatures, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, referring to the cleanliness of her rooms.  

            "Yes, marvelous," Reign repeated, noticing an out-of-place object glittering from underneath his layers.  Albus turned his head and followed her stare to his side.  He chuckled as he threw back his robes and pulled an immaculate sword from their depths.  He also pulled out two hilts, one that belonged to the blade, and the other holding a small dagger.  

            "You left these on the front steps," he said as he handed them to Reign.  She took them into her hands, a sad expression crossing her face.

            "I left them because they were too heavy for me to drag any further."  She walked over to the bed and dropped the dagger and sword hilt on top of the comforter.  The sword she kept in her hand.  She slowly caressed the silver blade, gazing at her reflection in its mirrored surface.  She grasped the handle with her left hand.  It was heavier than she remembered.  She felt a missing power return to her.  She maneuvered the weapon gracefully through the air, performing moves that resembled a dance.  The headmaster walked slowly toward her, not wanting to disrupt her memories.  When he sat on the bed, she stopped dancing.  "_Ki nörh," she said in her native tongue._

            "Your very welcome," Albus replied.  She stood holding the sword loosely from her side, her posture limp and her mind in a daze.  She was awoken when the old man continued.  "So what do you think of this room?  It's one of my favorites."  He looked around, waiting patiently for her to answer.

            "I love it.  The earth tones are very relaxing."     

            "I know.  That's why it's one of my favorites."  He winked at her and she half-smiled at him.  He was trying to get her mind off of whatever was making her sad, but it could not be done.  She threw her sword on the bed next to her dagger and went to the other side of Albus and sat down.  She sighed, and as if he had some power over her, she began to speak without being asked or told.

            "I feel so alone, Albus."  She stared down at the floor as he placed his hand on her shoulder.  "I feel like I don't deserve to be here.  Like someone else should have made it out instead of me.  Like I should have stayed and died fighting for my people."  She hung her head even lower, letting her hair fall forward to shield the oncoming tears.  Albus pulled his hand away from her shaking body and placed it in his lap.

            "There are a lot of things we all wish we could have done, or should have done."  He pulled back her shoulders so that she was sitting straight up and facing him.  Silent tears were falling from her soft green eyes.  He smiled sympathetically.  "But that's all they are--wishes.  We cannot go and change our past, so we should not waste our time mourning over it."  He wiped a tear from her cheek before he continued.  "If we do that, we only end up destroying ourselves.  The only thing we should concern ourselves with is the present."  He paused as Reign blinked and wiped away her last tears.  "Just take every day as it comes, Reign.  That is all you can do now.  That is all we should ever do."  She nodded and looked into his eyes.  He looked so much like her father.  For a moment she thought he _was her father; his advice sounded much like something he would have told her.  She fell into the old man's arms and startled him.  Albus placed his arms around her, stroking her hair as she began to weep again.  He held her for a long time, waiting until most of the sadness was cried out of her.  When she began to settle down he pushed her back, holding on to her shoulders as she again wiped the tears from her eyes.  "You're going to be fine.  It may take a while, but I promise you, you'll be fine."  They smiled at each other.  He let go of her and padded her knee before getting up from the bed.  She watched him walk to the door.  He got halfway there before he snapped his fingers and turned around._

            "Oh, I almost forgot."  He pulled a small pouch from underneath his robes and threw it at her.  "You left that, too."  He laughed.  "My, my, I am getting old.  Didn't want you to think I was stealing from you."  He winked.  "Perhaps that will be useful in buying some new clothes.  You remember the way to Hogsmeade, don't you?"  She nodded.  Albus smiled and strode out of the room.  Reign held the pouch in her hands, looking at it curiously.  She spread open the top and squinted as a bright light invaded her eyes.  She remembered the bag.  It was her money pouch.  She reached in and pulled out an elvish _diro.  It shone brightly on her hand, and she wondered what the exchange rate was between her money and wizard currency.  She placed the coin back in the bag and pulled the top closed.  She tossed it next to her weapons and new clothes.  Then she glanced out the window.  The sun had set and night was crawling toward the castle.  She wished she still had her pocket watch.  She scanned the room for any sign of a clock.  There was none, but she desperately wanted to know the time.  So she got up from the bed and began searching.  She finally found a small clock in the bottom drawer of her nightstand, and was extremely grateful when she saw that it still worked.  It was nine o' clock.  She had missed dinner.  Her stomach growled at the slightest thought of food.  She sat the timepiece on top of the table.  There was no point in going out now; it was too late.  The students were all in their dormitories, but she was still afraid to walk the halls.  She was afraid she would run into him.  _

Reign gathered her belongings and clothes and sat them in one of the chairs by the fireplace.  Seeing the empty hole in the wall made her shiver.  

            "_Similia similious curantur," she recited, and soon a fire was blazing in the room.  She went over to the bed and pulled back the covers.  She slipped inside and pulled the sheets up around her.  Despite the warmth of the room, the shadows the fire cast on the wall made it look a bit ominous.  It would take her a while to become familiar with her surroundings.  Once she relaxed, she stared once again up at the ceiling, watching the shadows dance.  She tried many times to fall asleep, but each attempt was miserably unsuccessful.  She closed her eyes and told herself not to open them, but she couldn't help it.  She tossed and turned and tried desperately to sleep, but it wouldn't come.  Her mind was not ready to go to sleep yet.  It was still thinking--thinking of him.  _

She could feel his presence.  Was he thinking of her?  If he was, he was probably reminding himself of how much damage she did to him, and how badly he hated her.  She opened her eyes, her chest steadily rising and falling.  The tears began to form.  _This was a mistake.  I never should have come here, she told herself, __I was foolish in thinking he would take me back.  She dug her head into her pillow.  __He'll never forgive me.  _

She slept only a few hours that night, partly because she had never stopped thinking, and partly because her nightmares had returned to her.  Screaming, laughing, and the crackling of fire all plagued her mind.  She thrashed and kicked uncontrollably as the horrifying thoughts invaded her unconscious.  She wanted so desperately for someone to wake her up and hold her and tell her it was just a dream.  But there was no one.  

***

The sun seemed to creep into the room like a serpent, slithering silently over the windowsill and spilling onto the floor.  It glided along the rug and up the side of the bed, hunting.  When it reached Reign's closed eyes, it stopped moving.  It stayed right where it was, trying desperately to penetrate her lids.  She squeezed her eyes tight, fighting the harsh morning light.  When it would not give in she turned over and faced the opposite direction, only to be met with another beam of light from the adjacent window.  She groaned in frustration and turned to lie on her back.  She threw her arms from out of the covers and laid them on her stomach.  Her eyes slowly crept open as they became accustomed to the morning sights.  She felt a slight tingling sensation as her muscles awoke from their sleep.  She told herself to sit up, but they wouldn't let her.  So she laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling.  The light was warm on her face, and it helped to awake her.  She stretched her arms out toward the light, letting it spill over her skin, entwining itself through her fingers.  She pushed her hair back and laid her hands over her head.  Reign took a deep breath as she tried to figure out what day of the week it was.  Tuesday?  Sunday?  She had no idea.  She hoped that it wasn't the weekend so she could shop in peace and not be bothered with strange looks of students or vacationers.  She sat up in bed and paused for a moment, still trying to wake up.  Doing so was always a big deal to Reign.  It took her at least fifteen minutes after she first woke up to actually _get out of bed.  _

She looked to the dying embers of the previous night's fire and noticed the clothes.  She threw off the sheets and stumbled over to the chair.  She picked up the clothing, which seemed much heavier than before, and lugged it over to the bed.  After dropping them on to the crumbled sheets, she picked up the sweater.  It looked to be handmade, knitted or crocheted; she wasn't sure which, seeing as she wasn't familiar with the fashion in which humans made their clothes.  The sweater was a deep burgundy, and as she stripped off her nightshirt and pulled it over her head, she noticed a large gold R embroidered in the middle.  It was either a coincidence or fate, but she smirked nevertheless.  The sweater was a bit large for her, as were the pants that came with it.  She was grateful for the large hooded cloak, which would cover up the rest of her questionable attire.  She slipped on the old shoes; unlike the rest of the clothes, they were almost too _small for her.  Then she slipped her money pouch into one of the deep pockets of her robes, and strapped her dagger to her thigh (which looked ridiculous because the fabric bunched up around it).  Her sword she would leave, for that needed to be strapped to her back, and was too noticeable anyway; the last thing she wanted to do was attract attention to herself.  _

She then went to the bathroom to freshen up.  After brushing her hair and teeth she splashed water on her face.  It was cool and refreshing.  She grabbed a towel without looking and as she dabbed her face dry she looked into the mirror.  She definitely looked different than the last time she had been at Hogwarts.  Despite her youthful appearance to everyone else that looked upon her, Reign thought--and knew--that she was older.  Not just older, but wiser, and colder.  Her younger days of adventures and games were over.  She had changed a great deal more than anyone else would have suspected for someone her age, and she knew right then that she had to except the fact that she was indeed different.

She replaced the towel and exited the bathroom.  Then she made up the bed and straightened the curtains before heading out of her rooms.  As she threw the pillows back into their rightful place, the snake from the headboard caught her eye again, and a shiver ran through her spine.  She shook it off and walked to the door.  When the door closed behind her, she could have sworn she heard a shrill laughter coming from the other side.  


	9. Hogsmeade

Chapter Nine

Hogsmeade

The castle seemed draftier than usual as Reign made her way through the corridors and down the stairwell.  It also seemed rather empty.  She stopped when she realized she hadn't seen a soul while walking.  She cursed under her breath while concluding that it must be Saturday; the day third-years and up were given the privilege of going to Hogsmeade for the afternoon.  Despite her earlier wishes of shopping in peace, Reign pushed on, gliding swiftly toward her destination.  She was not about to stay at Hogwarts and wander around aimlessly by herself.  She was still afraid she would run into him.

Had it been eighteen years already?  She had known that she would never see him again.  And yet in a small, dusty corner of her mind there was still that chance.  And now here she was.  And she was completely unprepared.  She needed more time to sort out what she would say when they met again; not _if, but __when, for it was inevitable that they would see each other.  Reign shuddered at the thought and tried to push all the scornful looks and hurtful remarks that would most likely come from him out of her mind.  They would meet, but not yet.  She still needed time--that, and descent clothes.  _

The sun greeted her as she stepped through the main doors and out onto the grounds.  She was grateful for the warm, bright day that lay before her.  It lifted her spirits and formed a smile on her hopeful face.  The walk to Hogsmeade was uneventful and short.  Reign took advantage of her isolation and leapt into the air, soaring for a few precious moments and then falling gracefully onto the ground.  She did this twice, and by the time she had landed the second time, was but a hundred feet from the entrance to the village.  

There were so many people there.  Hundreds of cloaked figures of all heights and ages.  Most of them were students, and most of them recognized her as the woman who made the dramatic entrance into their lives a few days ago.  Only some stared, and those that did were mostly third-years.  The older ones were too preoccupied with other matters to really care.  But the looks still bothered her, so she pulled her hood up and over her brow, shielding all but her chin from prying eyes.  Lifting her head a few inches provided for an unobstructed view of her path, and she pushed through the humans until she found the clothing shop, Gladrags Wizardwear.

Reign loved wizarding shops.  They were so magical, and despite all their owners' efforts, were still disorganized.  But this gave them a homey feeling, and Reign immediately felt comfortable as she stepped into the shop and removed her hood.  No one but the shopkeeper was in at the time, and as Reign looked around, the old witch kept a watchful and curious eye on her.  

There were so many articles of clothing--cloaks, shirts, pants, hats, boots, belts--that Reign didn't know where to start.  She sort of stood in the middle of the old wooden floor, before a rather brilliant sapphire colored fabric caught her eye.  She strode over to the rack and stroked the robe.  It was soft, but strong.  

            "Just got that one in.  Silk that is, from the giant Bangor moth in India.  Strongest fiber in the world."  Reign nodded as the woman explained the clothing.  "Would you like to try it on, dear?"  Reign tipped her head again.  The witch pulled out the robe and held it in place as Reign fit herself into it.  The fabric flowed over Reign like the waters of the ocean, and was just as blue.  She tugged at the ends of the sleeves and various places within the folds, checking its strength.  The old witch was about to object to her test, but by the time she opened her mouth Reign had already finished.

            "I'll take it."  The shopkeeper smiled as she helped her customer out of the robe and carried it over to the cash register.

            "Will that be all for you, dear?"  Reign began wandering around the floor again.

            "Actually, I am looking for an entirely different wardrobe."  The witch squealed as she ran from behind the counter.  It wasn't everyday someone was looking to replace a _whole wardrobe.  She helped Reign pick out seven pairs of pants (all different shades of brown), ten shirts (all white with collars and cuffed sleeves), four vests (silver, emerald, sky blue, and dark brown), three more robes (forest green, crimson, and black), two pairs of just-below-the-knees leather boots (black and brown), a skirt (gold with silver trim and two front slits from floor to mid thigh), a cotton v-neck top with a small leather string laced through the top, two belts (black and brown leather), and a black winter cloak.  _

As the old woman rang up her total, Reign pulled her money pouch from her robes.  She stopped before opening the bag, realizing that she only had Elvin money to pay with.  The woman told her the final amount, and Reign hesitantly pulled out a _diro from the bag.  The shopkeeper stared in awe at the brilliant gold coin sitting in the elf's palm._

            "I'm sorry, but this is the only money I have," she began.  "I'm not sure how much it's worth, but--" the old woman grabbed the coin and glared hungrily at the rest of Reign's small fortune.  

            "Though I don't believe elvish money is worth as much as wizard money, I'm sure we can work something out."  She placed her wrinkled fingers around the pouch and pulled it toward her as she talked.  Reign scowled, figuring that she was being taken advantage of.  Just then the bell above the door rang, and the floorboards shook as something large entered the shop.  Reign looked toward the entrance and smiled wide as she recognized Hogwarts' Groundskeeper.

            "Hagrid!" she shouted as she ran to him.  The giant picked her clear up off the floor and embraced her like the old friends they were.  When he set her down she noticed a tear in his eye.

            "Dumbledore told me you were alive, but--" he wiped the water from his jaunty face and hugged the woman again.  "It's good to see ye, Reign."

            "It's good to see you also, Hagrid," she huffed as he squeezed all the air out of her.  After releasing her for the second time, Reign led Hagrid to the counter.  She had to forcefully yank her pouch from the witch's grasp in order to show her friend the money.

            "Why, this old witch almost scammed ye, Reign," he boomed as he glared at the shopkeeper.  "Who do ye think ye are, tryin to take advantage of a stranger like this?" he growled at the woman, who cowered behind the register.  Reign put a hand on Hagrid's arm, and his eyes softened as he pulled back.  

After making sure that her purchases would be kept safe in the shop, Reign and Hagrid apparated to Gringotts bank.  Reign really was carrying a fortune.  It turned out that her elvish money was worth so much that she needed to open an account in order to keep all of it safe.  The two companions reminisced the whole way to and from the shop.  It was good for Reign to see a friendly and familiar face, and Hagrid was more than happy to visit with her again.

After shrinking all of her packages so they would fit in her robes, Hagrid led Reign to the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer.  The air wasn't as stuffy in the bar as in most others.   Reign figured that was due to the fact that it had to be kept up because of the many students visiting and adding to its profits.  Hagrid took a seat in the corner and waited while Reign went to the bathroom to change.  When she came back out the giant's jaw dropped to the floor.  She had chosen the sky blue vest and sapphire robes to wear over her new shirt and pants.  Her leather boots were stiff as she walked slowly to the table, but if there were any imperfections Hagrid failed to notice.  

After five pints of Butterbeer Hagrid got up to leave.  Reign was still on her first; she was still trying to get used to the sweetness of it.  Hagrid offered to walk her back up to the castle, but Reign declined, saying she wanted to stick around for a little longer and finish her drink.

            "Alright then, I'll see ye at dinner?"

            "Of course."  The giant smiled and stomped out of the bar, leaving Reign to sit by herself and watch life going on around her.

She leaned back in her chair and the shadows of the corner enveloped her.  There were many wizards and witches coming through the bar.  She watched an ancient witch beg for money, and two snobbish wizards turn their noses up at her.  She watched a mother wipe the face of her young son who had spilled milk all over himself.  She watched a young couple cuddle in the corner opposite of her.  She watched all of the interactions going on in the small space, and she felt completely alone.

So she left.

She stood up from her seat and strode out of Three Broomsticks, never having finished her drink.  It didn't seem as crowded on the street, perhaps it was getting later in the day than she had thought.  She still had to squeeze through the warm bodies and avoid the stares.  She just walked, and she wasn't sure why or where she was going.  A small bookshop finally pulled her out of the masses and through its doors.  She fluffed her robes and looked up to meet the curious eyes of the customers.  She scowled at them and went to the nearest shelf of books and began examining them.  There was nothing that she was remotely interested in, but she was curious nonetheless.  A distraught yelp made its way to her ear, and Reign turned just in time to see a dark haired boy fall to the ground.  The pale boy who had tripped him still had his leg sticking out as he snickered.  Reign got over to them just in time.  The dark haired boy had sprung from the ground and retrieved his wand from his robes.  His opponent pulled his wand also, and they were serious about dueling in the shop.

She seemed to come from nowhere, and placed herself in between the two young men.  She had to push them far enough away from each other to do so, and then placed a hand on each of their chests in order to keep them from squashing her before going at it again.  

            "Now boys," she started as they shot arrows at each other.  She moved her hands to their chins, and tipped their heads so they were looking at her.  Both immediately softened their gaze.  "This is no place to start a fight," she lectured, looking from one set of wide eyes to the other.  "You both should know better."  The dark haired boy hung his head while the other held his head proud and retorted.

            "Well I can't help it if Potter's a klutz with an aggressive nature."  Potter lunged at the other boy, shouting curses and flaying his arms.  Reign held him back and calmed him as his archenemy laughed maliciously behind her.  Blood trickled from the corner of the boy's mouth, but he didn't seem to notice.  Reign gathered a small section of her robes and spit on it.  While she was wiping the blood away and soothing the young boy, the other laughed even louder.

            "What is this, Potter?  Found a replacement for your mum?"  The boy struggled against Reign's powerful grasp.  He had a look in his eyes that told the woman he would probably kill him if she let go.  So she held on tight while turning on the other boy.

            "I am truly amazed that a boy with your small frame can support such a bloated head."  The boy in her arms laughed now, as the other advanced on her.  He didn't stop until he was inches from her nose.  Before he could speak, however, the door opened and another man entered the shop.

            "Draco?  What's going on here?" he demanded after surveying the scene.  He was dressed in black and he looked very powerful.  His long white hair was pulled back against his black cloak.  His features were hard; his jaw was square and tight and his eyes were piercing and ghostly blue.  And as he spoke, he tapped a black cane with a silver snake on the top against the floor.  Draco pulled back and stood by his father.

            "Potter tried to attack me."

            "That's a lie!" the boy shouted.  Reign placed her hand on his arm to restrain him.

            "Now now, Potter.  There's no need to raise your voice.  I'm sure--" he stopped when he noticed the woman standing next to the dark haired boy.  He wasn't the gawking type, but he was at that moment.  Her hair was even whiter than his, and her skin many shades darker.  Her magnificent green eyes scrutinized his as he inspected her.  The outfit she was wearing complimented her body perfectly, and she didn't look like all the other pushovers he had met in the world.  He brought his eyes back up to hers when she cleared her throat, and noticed her pointed ears.  _An elf? He questioned in his mind.  __Interesting._

            "Aren't you going to introduce us, Potter?" he asked as he stepped closer to the woman.  He didn't wait for the introduction.  He went straight to Reign and took her hand in his.  "Lucius Malfoy."  He kissed her hand; his lips were ice on her skin.  She pulled back and stared at him curiously.  "And you are?"

            "My name is Reign."  Her voice was so melodic.  Lucius smiled and layered on the charm.

            "Ah, I think a name better suited for you would be Sun, for you emit a light so brilliant it could only come from the warm rays of our star."  He was completely oblivious to the two boys watching them, who had secretly joined forces in thinking that the interaction was totally cheesy.  Draco was a little nervous inside.  Nervous for what his father had planned.

            "Not that kind of rain," the elf explained.  Lucius felt awkward as he searched for words to make up for his mistake.  When he found them, a devilish smile spread across his face.

            "Ah, I see.  You speak of the more powerful version of the word."  Reign shook her head as Malfoy leaned in closer to her.  "Even better," he whispered.  She could feel his hot breath on her skin and became weak in the knees.  She closed her eyes and upon opening them realized that he had backed away from her.  Malfoy grabbed his son and--after giving Potter a death stare--stalked to the door.  Before leaving he turned to Reign.

            "I look forward to our next encounter."  He shoved Draco out the door and followed his lead.  When they were gone, Reign turned to the dark haired boy.

            "Do you think they want people to hate them?  Or does it just come naturally?"  The boy laughed.

            "Definitely naturally.  I don't think they could be nice if they tried."  Reign smiled.

            "Are you all right, Harry?" she asked, referring to his injury.  His hand flew to his lips.

            "Yes, I'm fine.  Thank you."  She walked passed him to a table of books and began flipping through them.  The boy eyed her suspiciously, trying to remember where he had seen her before.  "Aren't you the woman who--"

            "Yes."

            "But I thought you--"

            "I did," she said slowly before looking up into the green eyes of Harry Potter.  His eyes were confused.  His mouth hung open as he tried to piece the story together.

            "Then how did you--" he wasn't interrupted, he just didn't finish.

            "Your nurse is a miracle worker."  She winked and headed off to another table.  Harry followed closely behind.

            "Are you staying at Hogwarts?"

            "Yes."

            "For how long?"  Reign stopped flipping.

            "As long as it takes."  Harry stepped closer to her.

            "As long as it takes for what?"  She looked into his eyes.  They were so soft and innocent.

            "I don't know," she answered.  And it was the truth.  Harry dropped his gaze to the book he was holding.  Reign glanced at it.  "Planning on buying that?"  Harry looked up and nodded.  She took the book from him and walked over to the counter.  He protested the whole way, but Reign demanded purchasing it for him.  The shopkeeper rang the book up and waited patiently for his money as Reign took out her pouch and opened it up to her new wizard money.  She stopped.

            "What's wrong?" Harry asked.  An embarrassingly red face looked up at him.

            "I don't know how your money works."  She held the bag out to the boy, who took the right amount out and handed it to the man behind the counter.  Afterwards Reign and Harry walked out of the shop together.    

            "Thank you for the book," he said as they pushed their way through the crowd.

            "Your very wel--" Reign stopped.  Harry had stopped.  He was supposed to meet Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid at Three Broomsticks for Butterbeer half an hour ago.

            "Do you want to join us?"

            "No no, that's alright.  Thank you, but I think I'm going to head back."  Harry shrugged and thanked her for the book again.  As Reign walked away, Ron Weasley grabbed Harry's arm.

            "Where have you been?  We've been waiting for over an hour!" he exaggerated.  Harry didn't saying anything, he just pointed.  Ron followed his fingers to Reign, and the bottom half of his jaw fell onto the ground.  Harry punched him in the side to wake him.  Then he explained who she was.  Ron stared at the elf the whole time his friend talked.  When he had finished, Reign had already disappeared through the crowd, but Ron was still staring.

            "Blimey.  Do you think she?  And I?"  Harry laughed and punched him again.  "I'm serious!  How old do you think she is?"

            "Yeah right, Ron.  Even if she was younger, she's way out of both our leagues."  Ron glared at him.

            "Speak for yourself.  I'm a very wanted wizard.  I've got plenty of girls who want to date me."  Harry laughed.

            "Is that why you're still single?"

            "I'm just picky, that's all."  They started walking.  "Besides.  This is the year for us, Harry.  I can feel it."  He threw out his arms and shouted, "Look out ladies!  Here we come!"  They both laughed when a few people gave them strange looks.  It was about time for them to head back to the carriages.  They met up with Hermione and got into their appropriate transport.  When Harry sat down he glanced out the window.  He could have sworn he saw an enormous blue bird soaring toward the castle, but after taking a double take and not seeing anything, decided best to keep it to himself.


	10. The First Glimpse

Chapter Ten

The First Glimpse

When Reign re-entered the castle, Professor McGonagall was waiting for her.  An anxious look vexed her face as she waited for Reign to ascend the front stairs.  The elf smiled nervously at her, fearing that she may be in trouble.  The older woman uncrossed her arms and turned down the hall.  Reign needed no verbal instructions that said to follow; she quickly fell in step beside her.  She never knew what to think about the Deputy Headmistress; she was quite moody for her age and Reign was never sure if she was on her good or bad side.  The elf kept her head high and a stern look on her face as they glided through the castle.  The pair of them looked quite ominous in their strides.  When they passed the Great Hall, Reign gave a look of concern at the witch.  It was then that McGonagall stopped.

            "Dumbledore has called for a staff meeting."  Reign raised an eyebrow, wondering why this concerned her.  "He has asked me to pass the invitation on to you, if you care to join us."  Minerva raised her eyebrow and bore her pale eyes into Reign's.  The elf was so intimidated that she immediately agreed without even thinking.  The witch continued on to the staff room with Reign following sluggishly behind.  She had slapped her forehead after agreeing but was too busy trying to keep up with Minerva to beat the rest of herself up.  _So much for needing time, she thought.  _

When Reign entered the staff room--close on the heals of the female professor--she was greeted by several familiar faces.  Many of the staff was already there when she arrived, and most came up to her and told them how good it was to see her again, and how long it had been since she was last here, and how they were so glad she hadn't died.  After all the handshakes and smiles Reign still felt apprehensive about being in the room with them.  Instead of taking a seat at the table she leaned against the closest wall.  There was a little area when one first entered the room that opened up into the main room.  The wall that separated the two was the wall Reign rested against.  She crossed her arms and lowered her head.  Cool and calm was the look she was going for.  But it was no use.  She started shaking.  Her hands turned to ice and her pulse quickened.  She wiped a bead of perspiration from her brow.  A few more teachers entered, and then the door opened so forcefully that it banged against the wall and made the elf jump.

            "Severus, good of you to join us," teased Albus from the head of the table.  Reign's heart, the heart that had been beating like the wings of a hummingbird, had stopped completely.  She stopped sweating, she stopped blinking, she even stopped breathing as a dark figure glided into the room.  It came to a halt when it noticed the elf leaning against the wall.  Reign kept her head down.  She would not look at him.  But he looked at her.  The look lasted only a second, and then he went on and took his seat.  Reign's eyes followed his back.  It had been so long since she had seen him.  He sat down and started to converse with Professor Sprout.  He didn't even glance at her.  But she stared at him.  He looked much older than he really was.  The lines of his face were not laugh lines, but lines from years of scowling.  His hair was unkempt and his eyes were sagging in their sockets.  But those eyes were as black as ever.  His nose was the same and his hands were the same.  The same graceful hands that had dealt with various ingredients for so many years and still managed to look so smooth and perfect hid under his black sleeves.  As she stared, Reign longed to go back in time.  She cursed herself for what she did to him.  As she stared, another figure entered the room.

            "Lucius," acknowledged Dumbledore.

            "Albus."  Though he said his name, Lucius Malfoy was not looking at the Headmaster.  He had eyed Reign staring at something with a wide range of emotions crossing her youthful face--sadness, regret, confusion, rage.  He followed her eyes to Severus Snape, and a wide devil's smile spread across his pale face.  Upon hearing his name, Reign turned her head to meet Malfoy's smirk.  He winked at her and she pulled her eyebrows together and turned away.  Malfoy's smile grew even larger as he walked passed her.

            "Reign, dear, have a seat," Albus beckoned.  Lucius pulled up an empty chair and sat it next to him.  She reluctantly took the seat.  She laid her hands on the table and folded them.  She refused to raise her eyes.  Severus was a seat down and across from her.  He refused to look at her.  Albus made a short introductory speech and then motioned for Lucius to speak.

            "As many of you may already know, the school's budget has fallen into the red for the greater portion of this year.  It has come to the board's attention and is now considered a serious problem.  I have been sent to negotiate a way out of this predicament."  And he droned on for another half an hour.  There was bickering and arguing over how to fix the problem.  Some suggested cutting out certain programs, to which others suggested getting rid of classes, or even Quidditch.  Through the yelling and the bickering, Reign sat silently in her chair.  She never took her eyes off of a notch in the table, never unfolded her hands, and never repositioned herself in her chair.  Lucius stood behind her and watched her strange behavior.  He also had his eye on Severus, who was also taking note of Reign.  She looked nervous.  Nervous about him.  He enjoyed seeing her like that.  And then suddenly she leaned back in her chair.  She crossed her arms and legs and flipped her hair and brought her eyes up to a normal level.  She would not let him get to her.  She would not let him ruin her.  She became very relaxed.  She even started to pay attention to what was going on.  Unfortunately, her efforts came a bit late.  

            "Well," shouted Lucius from behind Reign.  The sound of his voice made her jump, and it succeeded in quieting the others down, "it seems that we still need time to sort out this ordeal.  Albus?"

            "Yes, I agree.  Let's give it another month.  We'll have another staff meeting then and hopefully will be able to work something out."  He stood up from his chair, and others followed his lead.  Some of the teachers lingered in their seats, still contemplating their dilemma.  Minerva took Dumbledore's arm.

            "A month, Albus?  Don't you think this needs to be sorted out before then?  Who can tell what will happen in a month?"  Albus put his nimble finger up to his lips to quiet her.

            "It is a serious problem that needs to be addressed right away."  He glanced at Lucius, who was still looming over Reign, who had gone back to staring at the notch in the table.  "But I do not want Lucius Malfoy to sit in on any more of our meetings.  I believe his mere presence makes others hard to deal with."  He surveyed the room, his eyes falling over conversations between teachers.  Some looked enraged: others, hopeless.  "We will have a meeting next week.  Without Malfoy."

When Reign finally looked up from the table Severus had already left.  He had left as soon as Albus got up from his seat.  Her heart sank when she noticed his absence.  She lowered her head and a pair of hands grasped her shoulders.  She looked up into Lucius Malfoy's smoky blue eyes.

            "It's good to see you again, Reign."  He smiled at her, and she returned it with less sincerity.  The elf shrugged his hands off and stood up from her chair.  When she looked into Malfoy's eyes she was confused at what she saw.  Concern or hunger lied within the pools of blue; she wasn't sure which.  He took her hand in his and moved closer to her.  He was about three inches taller than she, and his movement intimidated her.  She looked to the floor and then up again; this time his eyes were unreadable.

            "Are you all right?"  She pulled her head back and raised an eyebrow at him.

            "Yes, of course."  He took one of his hands and placed it on her cheek.  Reign flinched.

            "Are you sure?"  A voice inside her head told her to say no.  It told her that this man truly did care about how she was feeling, and that she should tell him the truth.

            "Yes, I'm sure."  She pulled away from his grasp and exited the staff room.  As soon as she was gone Lucius bolted to the side door and ran to catch up with Severus.  It had been a long time for them, and he decided they needed to have a little chat.


	11. The Decision

Chapter Eleven

The Decision

Reign was walking again.  Walking through the halls of Hogwarts.  Walking passed the gossiping portraits and the extravagant tapestries and the nervous students and the enormous windows.  Everything was there, but it was all a blur to her.  She was running now.  Only it was a clumsy run.  She was going nowhere and on her way there things kept popping up in her way.  It was an overly dramatic run.  She passed the corridors that led to other parts of the castle and passed the main stairwell and finally she slowed down.  All that was in front of her now was a wall.  This was the end.  She spun around.  She was now in a remote part of the castle.  There was no one around.  No one to notice her, to stare at her.  No one to see her cry.

So she backed up against the wall and slid slowly down to the floor.  Her hands held her face as she wept into them.  She wrapped her arms around her knees and wept into them.  Then she lifted her head and rested it against the wall, and wept against the heavy air of the corridor.  Her mind was racing.

_What am I doing?  This was such a mistake.  I can't handle this.  Not after what I've been through.  I'm not invincible.  I can't change anything.  Nothing will ever be the same, why did I think it could?  This was a mistake.  I don't belong here.  I should leave.  I should just leave._

She wiped the final tears from her cheek and lifted herself up off the ground.  The corridor was dimly lit as she made her way back down it.  She was heading toward her rooms.  She walked slowly, gracefully now.  She had made up her mind.  She was determined now.  She didn't care if she ran into anything or anyone.  She was on a mission.  

_I'll just go back to my rooms, get my stuff.  Leave Albus a note.  Walk out of their lives forever.  That's the way it has to be.  I'll just leave._

She got to her rooms and went quickly to gather her things.  All her new clothing she shrunk and put into her money pouch.  She threw on her tank top, skirt, pants, boots, and belt.  She strapped her sword to her back and her dagger to her thigh.  She strode to the bathroom to gather up the rest of her things.  When she glanced into the mirror she stopped.  She looked like her old self again.  Her elvin self.  Her eyes drifted to her _saphie and she put a finger to her emerald.  She did not belong at Hogwarts.  She belonged in the outside world, amongst the trees and the sunlight.  She tore away from the mirror and scribbled a quick note to Albus, apologizing and thanking him.  After tossing it on the bed she bounded to the door.  She would not look back.  She would not linger and let all the memories flood back to her.  She would not doubt her decision._

She knew she had not thoroughly planned out what she was about to do.  Where was she going to go?  Who was she kidding?  She wouldn't last.  But it didn't matter.  She had to get away.  

She walked stealthily through the castle, taking back routes to avoid human contact.  When she reached the outside grounds she stopped to catch her breath.  The sun was shining on the stones of the castle as well as its surroundings.  Ripples could be seen from the lake.  The giant squid glided easily through the pitch-black waters.  Reign straightened up and headed in the direction of Hogsmeade.  Toward the sun.  It was close to sunset now, and the blinding light was right in her line of sight.  But she pushed on.  When she was close to the crest of the hill the light disappeared.  A large black figure blocked its way.  She put her hand up to try to get a better view.  

            "Hagrid?"  The giant walked slowly over the hill.  He was holding something in his hands.  Some sort of rope.  Reign's eyebrows were strung together.  Hagrid did not hear her, or was not acknowledging her.  She took a step forward, then stopped.  Another figure came from behind Hagrid.  An even larger figure.  A large, blond figure with four legs.

            "CYPRESS!"  Reign ran full speed to her horse.  She flung her arms around his neck and buried her face within it.  Her grasp was tight but the horse didn't mind.  "You made it out.  You got away.  You're alive," she whispered into the soft fur.  The animal rested its great head on her shoulder.  Reign pulled away and kissed the cheeks of the horse.  She stroked his muzzle as she turned to Hagrid.  He shifted in his stance and sniffed.  Reign walked over to him.  When she jumped up to give him a hug he caught her and held on.  "Thank you so much for finding him, Hagrid."

            "Oh, don' thank me.  I didn't find him.  Cypress 'ere found me."  He let her go and she fell gracefully to the ground.  The horse walked to the pair and playfully nudged Reign.  She put one arm around his neck and laid her head against his.  It was then that Hagrid noticed her attire.

            "Goin' somewhere?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.  Reign looked down and let go of the horse.  She let her arms fall to her side as she brought her head back up to Hagrid's.  Now that she had her horse she was more confident about leaving.  She would not let him change her mind.

            "I'm leaving, Hagrid.  I can't stay here."  She watched as his face fell and his heart sank.  

            "But...ye can't.  Ye...ye jus' got 'ere."  He was stuttering as he protested.  Reign placed her hand on his heaving chest.

            "I have to go.  I don't belong here."

            "Yes ye do!" he bellowed.  Reign stepped back.  The giant stepped forward and took her miniature hand in his.  "If this is because of Severus--" She yanked her hand away.

            "Yes, it is because of him.  But it's not just him."  She paused.  "It's everything, Hagrid.  I just need time.  Just time."  She looked up to his soft black eyes.  "Please just let me go in peace."  He turned away.  He didn't want her to leave.  He looked back to her pleading eyes.  And he sighed.

            "All right."  Reign smiled.  They stood awkwardly for a moment and then Hagrid started again.  "But will ye have a quick cup a tea b'fore ye go?"  Reign looked to the sky.

            "I should really go before it gets too dark out."

            "Please, Reign.  Jus' one."  The elf clicked her tongue and stroked Cypress' muzzle.  The horse's eyes drooped.

            "I guess Cypress could use a rest before he starts back up again."  The animal nodded its heavy head at her suggestion.  She turned to Hagrid, raised her pointer finger into the air, and said in a very stern voice, "Just one."  The giant nodded.  They headed back to Hagrid's hut.  A giant, an elf, and her horse.  _Just one, she had said.  Hagrid smiled to himself.  One cup of tea can last a very long time._


	12. Changing Minds

Chapter Twelve

Changing Minds

Reign waited impatiently as Hagrid prepared the fire and gathered his supplies for their tea.  He seemed to be moving slower to her.  Perhaps it was just her imagination, but it seemed unusual for him.  Granted, Hagrid wasn't a _fast person by nature, but his behavior was uncharacteristically sluggish.  But she waited.  And fussed.  And squirmed in her seat.  By the time the tea was finished, the sun had set.  Reign could hear Cypress outside chewing on bits of Hagrid's lawn.  She held her warm cup in her hand and tapped the edges with her finger nervously.  Hagrid took his seat and waited.  It was an uncomfortable moment of silence for them.  Hagrid began to doubt his plan.  They had never had a moment of silence between them since they've known each other.  He shifted in his seat._

            "So," the sound of his deep voice made Reign jump.  She pulled her fingers from the teacup and began to tap the wooden planks of the table.  Her knee began to bounce up and down in anticipation.  She needed to leave.  She didn't want to hurt his feelings.  It was the last thing she wanted to do.  But she needed to leave.

            "So," she repeated.  Another long moment of silence.  And then there was a knock.  It made both of them jump.  The chair screeched across the floor as Hagrid lifted himself out of it.  Reign watched as he slumped to the door and opened it.  There was no one there.  Just the naked blackness of the night.  A breeze came in through the opening and found its way up the elf's spine.  She sipped her hot tea to rid her body of the icy shiver.  Hagrid really did brew wonderful tea.  When she set the cup back down she heard her host whispering to the night.  He was talking to himself.  She arched an eyebrow at his turned back.

            "Harry?  Is that you?"  He stretched his hand out into the darkness, obviously hoping to grab a hold of something.  It was ridiculous.  She couldn't stay around for this.  So Reign got up from her seat and dusted her clothes off.  When she looked up she let out a yelp.  Three young seventeen year olds stood in the doorway of Hagrid's hut.

Reign clutched her heart and gave a curious look in Hagrid's direction.  He averted his eyes away from her glare and motioned for his visitors to follow him to the table.  There were two boys and a girl.  One of the boys she recognized.  

            "Harry.  It's good to see you again."  She gave a weak smile.  Her heart was still pounding from their unexpected arrival.  Harry smiled and took a seat across from her.  His companions sat on either side of him.

            "This is Ron Weasley," he said, motioning toward a shocking red head who smiled with one half of his mouth.  He looked more confused than friendly.  It amused Reign.  "And this is Hermione Granger," he continued.  The bushy-haired girl gave a curt nod and an apprehensive smile.  "These are my best friends."

            "It's a tremendous pleasure to meet you both."  They smiled again, but kept their lips sealed tight.  It was obvious Harry had already told them about her, and even so she didn't feel very welcome.  Hagrid broke the silence by clearing his voice and getting out more cups for the newcomers.

            "So what brings you three down 'ere tonight?" he asked as he banged his way around the hut.  

            "Oh, you know us, Hagrid.  We just came down to talk," Harry answered.  Ron twiddled his thumbs and Hermione stared absent-mindedly at Reign.  The look in her eyes was a suspicious one.  And then it turned curious.

            "So you're an elf?" she asked.  Every head in the room lifted up to look at her.  Reign shifted uneasily, as she felt she was about to be interrogated by a teenage human.

            "Yes," she said sternly.  Hermione leaned forward.

            "Well, I can honestly say I haven't read much about your kind."  Ron and Harry looked at each other.  They were shocked.  Something Hermione didn't know about?  What was this all about?  "I'd really like to know more about you--elves, that is."  She leaned back and crossed her arms.  Reign relaxed a bit.  She was always happy to brag about being an elf.

            "Well, what would you like to know?"  Hermione stared into her green eyes and replied in an almost menacing tone,

            "Everything."  Reign laughed.  She couldn't possibly tell them _everything.  Elves did have their secrets, and even if they didn't, it would take years to tell them __everything.  So she stroked her chin and looked thoughtfully at the ceiling._

            "Well," she placed her hands on the table and straightened up, leaning slightly forward as if she was telling a secret, "unlike humans," she glanced at the three young adults, who all raised an eyebrow at her, "who _use magic.  Who use a wand to __do magic," she paused for a dramatic effect.  Ron rolled his eyes.  She was such a bad storyteller.  Always trying too hard to get a reaction out of her audience.  She noticed their annoyance and leaned back in her chair.  And she started over._

            "Unlike humans, elves _are magic.  We are part of the magical world, and don't need wands to perform spells.  Most of the time we don't need spells to perform magic at all."  Harry shifted in his chair, edging forward.  He was interested.  Ron seemed somewhat engrossed also.  And even though Hermione would never admit it, she never took her eyes off of Reign, and never closed her ears to her voice.  Reign continued to tell about aspects of elvin life.  "We elves are excellent archers and swordsmen.  And we're light, also.  Not in the sense that we're __skinny," Ron and Harry smirked at the wrinkled face Reign made when saying that word, "but we're literally light.  Our bones are hollow, like a bird's.  That's why we're able to jump great distances.  We don't have the aerodynamics to fly, but we can jump.  It allows us to walk on snow and sand and such without sinking, also."  Hermione was completely hooked by this point.  Ron nudged Harry and pointed to their friend, and both of them smiled as Hermione stared, unblinking, at the elf.  She told them about their rituals and some of their traditions, and more of their abilities and hobbies.  "We love the outdoors.  Sunlight helps us grow."_

            "Like plants?"  It was the first interruption in the one-sided conversation, and it wasn't even an intelligent interruption.  Ron's faced turned bright red and he lowered his head to avoid the awkward stares.  

            "Yes Ron, just like plants," Reign said in a soothing tone.  Ron brought his head back up to meet her warm smile.  He gave a weak grin as his face returned to its normal color.  But there was a silence in the room.  Reign had forgotten what she was talking about.  It didn't matter in the end, because as soon as she remembered Harry had already begun to speak.

            "Sheesh.  Are there any disadvantages to being an elf?"  Reign glared at him.  He was taken back by her reaction to his seemingly harmless question.

            "Of course there are disadvantages to being an elf, as with any species on this planet," she tried to keep herself under control.  She wasn't about to list off all the drawbacks, but she didn't want them thinking it was the perfect species either.  "Besides being immortal, among other things.   Don't get me wrong.  Living for forever is a good deal, but it gets so old, as I'm sure you can imagine."  There was a unanimous nod of heads.  "We're also arrogant."  The nodding stopped.  Her pause worked this time.  Curious and perplexed faces lifted up to her luminous eyes.  "Elves have always thought themselves to be the superior race of bipeds."

            "Species that walk on two feet," Hermione said, answering Ron's bewildered look.

            "I know what a biped is, Hermione!" he snapped back.  The girl rolled her eyes and nodded for Reign to continue.

            "Elves can do whatever a human or any other creature can do, and ten times better at that.  We're lean, mean, and powerful.  We are the perfect specimens."  She paused in her explanation, looking down at her hands.  "That's why we stick to our own kind.  Forming relationships with other creatures--humans, dwarves, whatever--is frowned upon in my culture.  And it is strictly forbidden to marry anyone but another elf."  She looked up into the faces of her audience.  Hagrid looked at her with sympathetic eyes.  Harry noticed the sadness surrounding her, and smiled when her eyes fell upon him.  She returned it.

            "How is it that you're here then?" Hermione asked, trying to change the subject.

            "Well," she began, getting up from her chair, "I prefer to live by my _own rules."  As she stood up, she took notice of the cups sitting on the table.  All of them were full.  They had been too absorbed in her story to drink the delicious tea.  Perhaps she wasn't that bad of a storyteller after all.  She edged out from between the wall and her chair.  Hermione stood up._

            "Thank you for your information.  That was really quite interesting."  The boys glanced at each other.  For once, they agreed with her.  

            "Well, you're very welcome.  I enjoyed this evening with you all."  She sidestepped to the door.

            "Are you going to be sticking around for a while?" Ron piped up.  "Because, well, I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that we'd love to chat again sometime."  Reign's heart sank as she looked at four hopeful faces.  Hagrid's most hopeful of all.  She stood fixated in her spot, with her hand still on the door handle.  Then she let out the breath she had been holding while she thought hard about what she was going to say to them.

            "Yes, I'll be around."  Hagrid practically leapt up and hugged her.  The smiles flooded in her direction as the trio rejoiced at her comment.  Reign pulled open the door.  "It's been really nice talking with you all.  Thank you."

            "Thank _you," everyone chimed._

            "I'll see you all tomorrow, then."  They nodded, and Reign stepped outside into the cool night.  Cypress raised his head from the patch of grass he had been grazing on, and Reign thought of one last thing.  She stuck her head back inside and spoke to the giant.  "Hagrid, you don't mind if--" she pointed to the horse.  

            "Of course not!"  He smiled.  He was so jolly.  Reign gave a wave to everyone and walked away.  Toward the castle, and back to her rooms.


	13. Dealer Takes Five

Chapter Thirteen

Dealer Takes Five

Severus Snape glided through the castle as elegantly and ghostly as the shadows that danced upon the walls.His eyes were fixed straight ahead of him as his feet carried him to the dungeons.But his mind was elsewhere.He was thinking again.Thinking of Her.The first time he had seen Her he was too shocked to move, and this most recent time his reaction had been almost the same.She overpowered him without even knowing it.He had seen her, and stopped.And he stared.She had not looked back.She seemed too nervous.But She had looked good.He had never seen Her in such bright attire, but the sapphire robes went perfectly with Her thin white hair--hair that he longed to run his fingers through again.And Her eyes.He had forgotten how green they really were.They were almost unreal.But they were genuine, and that made them even more magical.She hadn't aged a day; Her youthful appearance would stay with Her for a very long time.

But why was She even present at the meeting?The last he knew Albus was not hiring, so She wasn't officially a member of the staff.Had She known that he was going to be there?Severus shook his head.Of course She had known, but it was arrogant of him to think She would come because of him.Perhaps for Malfoy?Snape scowled.He had noticed their behavior toward each other.Lucius seemed _interested in Her, and despite his present hatred for the elf, he was still worried._

When Snape reached his chambers he stopped before entering.Though his mind had drifted, he thought he had heard footsteps behind him.When he turned to look, nothing met his eyes but darkness.He passed the noise off as echoes of his own footsteps and entered his rooms.

Two minutes later there was a knock on the door.Severus was rubbing his temples as he slumped in a chair by the roaring fire.He didn't want to answer the door, didn't care who it was.But the knocking persisted, and became louder and more demanding.Finally, a voice resonated from the opposite side.

"Severus, it's Lucius.I wish to speak with you," the man said impatiently.Snape removed his fingers from his forehead and looked to the door.Outside, Lucius Malfoy stood leaning against the doorframe, chipping bits of dirt from the bottom his cane.The Potions master slowly rose from his chair and walked to the door.As he reached for the handle a very loud rapping startled him.

"Severus!Open this door, damn it!I know you're in there!"Snape ripped open the door and shot a poisoned look at Malfoy.The white-haired man lowered his cane and a venomous smile spread across his face.Severus glowered at him."Well?Aren't you going to invite me in?"He didn't want to, but he knew he had to.It was hard playing two hands at once, especially when both sets of cards had their disadvantages.He moved aside to let Lucius enter.The man swept passed him and surveyed the state of his rooms.After setting his cane against Snape's desk, he said satisfactorily, "I see you are still the most organized Death Eater in the lot."Severus remained expressionless.

"What do you want, Lucius?"Malfoy looked almost appalled.

"I've merely come to catch up on old times with you, Severus.It's been a too long since we've chatted, wouldn't you agree?"His look revealed a hidden reason, but Severus could not reveal it.

"We've never _chatted," he said coldly.He folded his arms and waited while Lucius collected his thoughts.The sneer on his face grew larger, and Severus was half-tempted to wipe it off himself as the man approached him._

"Well, better late than never, I always say."He swept passed Snape and took a seat by the fire.Severus sat down next to him.

Lucius wasted no time in seeking the information he wished to find.

"What did you do to her?"

"What do you mean what did _I do to __her?"_

"You know exactly what I mean.I saw her today when you entered the staff room; she looked like she was about to swoon."Severus rolled his eyes."How did you hurt her, Severus?"The dark-haired man snapped his head in Malfoy's direction.

"I did _not hurt her."His voice was pure ice.The other man's lips shut tight and he turned to stare into the flames.When he returned his gaze, he noticed the hurt plaguing his opposite's pale face._

"Then she hurt you," he said softly.Severus inhaled sharply."What did she do?"The Potions master got up from his seat and glared at Lucius.Then he said very slowly,

"She left without saying goodbye."He stalked over to his desk, but stopped when he heard a shrill laughter from behind him.Lucius had pulled himself up from his chair.

"Is that all?Surely you wouldn't be so bitter because of _that.Surely this man I see before me, a man I have known for many years to have an empty heart and a dark soul, would not let a __woman, and an __elf at that, overpower him so?"Severus rushed toward Malfoy, and being a few inches taller than him, forced the man to arch his back at his arrival._

"She has no power over me," he said loudly.Lucius knew that he was lying.The look in his eyes and his reaction had given him away.Severus backed off and continued quietly, "Whatever has passed between us is no longer.And therefore it is none of your concern."

"No more feelings for her then?"Severus arched his eyebrow.Of course he still had feelings for her.But they were so sheltered that he believed in his mind that they no longer existed.But his heart knew better.What his mind did comprehend was that Lucius Malfoy had an ace up his sleeve.He raised his pointer finger at him.

"Stay away from her, Lucius."The tone would have been enough for any student to avoid him for eternity, but not for the man standing in front of him.That man merely smirked.

"But I thought you no longer cared for her--"

"Even so, no creature deserves your venomous bite."

"Well thank you," Malfoy sneered at Snape's back as he turned to his desk.Turning away was the universal signal that the conversation was at an end.Malfoy headed toward the door, but paused before exiting."Don't worry, Severus, _old friend.I will take good care of Reign."He walked out the door, leaving Severus alone in the dungeons, and alone in his thoughts._


	14. Night in Hand

Chapter Fourteen

Night in Hand

Reign sat huddled on her chest by one of the large windows that dominated her rooms, and her head lay softly against the glass.  The cold shot through her forehead like a swift blow from the butt of a sword, and she snapped her head away from the pane.  Outside the night crept onto the grounds, spreading its fingers and draping a devious ebony blanket over the sleeping world.  Reign lowered her head again onto the glass and—after the initial shock—welcomed the cool against her temples.  She wrapped her blanket tighter around her body as the shivers spread throughout her insides, but she did not move her weary head.  A sigh escaped her lips, and the window fogged at contact with her warm breath.  With a solitary finger she traced her tribe's symbol in the frosted glass.  After re-creating the crescent and stars she looked up to the luminous moon shining high above the blackened earth.  She could feel the warmth emanating from her emerald, which rested against her upper arm under the folds of her blanket and robes.  Between the warmth from the jewel and the ice of the window, an imbalance was created deep within her body.  Her fingers were icicles, she could no longer feel her toes, and her nose was dull with cold.  But her chest was warm; her _heart_ was still warm.  She wiped the symbol from the window and continued to breath against it as the night passed.  The stars shined brightly as in a brilliant magical orchestra, with the moon acting as their conductor.  Her eyes passed over the night sky that she so loved to watch, but her trance was broken with a knock.

The elf peeled herself from the trunk and glided across the room after dropping her cover on the bed.  When she pulled open the door her breath caught in her throat.  A dark figure stood looming over her, watching her silently from where he stood.  She stood fixated in her spot, waiting for him to make the first move.  

            "Reign," he said, looking deep into her eyes.  His tone was soothing and concerned.  He lifted a hand to her cheek and she immediately recoiled at his touch.

            "It's late, Lucius."  He ignored her and pushed the door further open to allow himself into the room.  As he swept passed the elf he scanned the space, and when he turned to her she noticed a slight scowl on his face.  It was soon replaced with a gracious smile.

            "Charming rooms you have."

            "Glad you think so," Reign said as she walked to the end of the bed and sat with her feet propped up on a second trunk.  The man watched her go—scanning her as well—and walked toward her when she rested.

            "You look," he paused as she arched an eyebrow, "tired."  She rolled her eyes.

            "Like I said, it's late.  Why are you still in the castle?"

            "I've just finished up a private meeting with Albus."  He stepped even closer to her, and Reign's heartbeat quickened.  She looked to the floor and traced the patterns of the rug with her eyes, waiting for him to state his business.  When he failed to do so, she asked blatantly,

            "Why are you here, Lucius?"  He was inches from her now.  She could feel the heat radiating from his body and see his powerful chest rising calmly in front of her.  He spoke in a very serene voice.

            "I've merely come to pass the time with you."  He lifted her chin to look into her eyes.  "And to make sure you're all right."  She was still confused as to how he would know that she wasn't.  "I saw the way you reacted toward Severus today.  If you don't wish to tell me what happened between you two, that's all right."  He traced her cheek with a gentle finger.  "I just want to make sure that you won't let him get to you."

            "No one's ever been able to do that," she snapped, "I doubt Severus will be the first."  Malfoy pulled back, but only to retrieve a small box from his cloak.  A thin silver ribbon circled the black object.  Lucius placed it into Reign's open palms.

            "I want you to have this."  Reign's heart was still beating faster than normal as she unwrapped the package.  Inside was a small velvet cloth, which kept an even smaller object within its folds.  She removed the item and uncovered its secret.  It was a jewel.  Blacker than the blackest night.  Her breathing ceased as she held the precious stone in her hands, her green eyes staring wide at the pools of ebony.  A thin leather string hung from the top of the pyramid shaped jewel; she let it drape over her fingers as Lucius spoke.  "It's a Black Diamond.  They are extremely rare."  She looked up to him.  "Like you."

            "Why have you given this to me?" she whispered.  The man looked to the window and out into the night, then back to Reign.

            "It is said to reflect the strength that resides deep within our souls, and I felt it might be of use to you."  He took it from her hands and let the diamond dangle in front of Reign's eyes.  "I thought you could wear it on that arm band of yours."  The elf was taken back by his statement.  She looked at him curiously and asked,

            "How did you know about my _saphie?"  Lucius dropped the jewel into his hand._

            "Reign," he said calmly, "don't think that I am that naïve to not know a _few_ things about your people."  The woman dropped her head as two hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her robes from her body.  Her numerous charms and jewels acted as chimes, spreading a pleasant song through the stiff air of the bedroom as the cloth that hid them was removed.  Lucius traced his hands back up her arms and across her shoulders.  His touch was soft and tender.  The eyes of the elf closed as she inhaled his scent.  It was seeping with power and strength; both things that she had none of at that moment.  He was even closer to her now, and she could she her hands shaking as they rested nervously in her lap.  She sat silently watching his every move, but as he lifted the jewel to her arm she stopped him.

            "What is it?" he asked in an anxious but slightly annoyed manner.

            "It's just that," she sighed, "when an elf is born, a _saphie is given to them in honor of the occasion.  No one has ever added to one."  She looked pleadingly at him.  "It's sort of a tradition."  Malfoy's stern face softened into an understanding smile.  His hand continued its journey.  As he spoke he leaned in closer to Reign, so that their noses almost touched._

            "You don't strike me as one to follow tradition."  His breath was hot on her face.  When he finished tying the jewel to her band, he found her hands and clasped them with his own.  "Besides," he whispered, "one small token of my affection won't hurt."  Reign's inhalation accelerated as his hands left hers and cupped her face.  Her whole body was on the verge of violent convulsions.  Her palms were sweating and her throat was dry.  Lucius, however, remained calm and cool as he dipped his head down to kiss her.

            "Lucius," she gasped, pulling back before his lips met hers, "I can't.  No.  I don't even know you."  She started shifting uneasily against his body.  

            "That's fine, that's all right," he reassured Reign as he steadied her.  "Forgive me."  She nodded her head and he leaned in once more.  But Reign did not pull back.  She let Lucius rest his cheek against hers.  His hand left her shoulder and moved to her hair.

            "I just need time," she whispered against his skin.  

            "Then time you shall have," he whispered back.  Reign gave a weak smile that he could not see, for his head still rested against hers.  The Elvin ears picked up a small ticking against the window as raindrops tapped steadily against the pane.  There was a brilliant streak of lightning that lit up the room and the two figures resting within its walls.

And then there was another knock on the door.  But whoever was on the other side did not wait for Reign.  The dark figure stood with a gaping mouth at the two figures intimately entwined on the edge of the bed.  They had no warning of his coming, and therefore could not pull back in time to avoid the predicament they were now in.  Reign's head dropped to her chest as Lucius pulled away and faced Severus Snape.  


	15. Bitter Reunion

Chapter Fifteen

Bitter Reunion

Her head felt like it was going to explode.She didn't know how much more stress she could take.She shook her head in disbelief but was soon impressed with Snape's 'perfect' timing.He stood in the doorway with absolutely no emotion etched into his pale face.He just stared.Reign looked at him with the same indifferent look, and then to Lucius, whose back was turned toward her.Severus was the night: Lucius, the day.Both men were bathed in black, but Malfoy's wardrobe suggested power, while Snape's communicated sorrow and bitterness.Lucius was slightly shorter than Severus, and his broad shoulders rounded out his muscular frame compared to Snape's long and lean build.Reign looked back to Severus and his eyes burned into hers as he spoke barely above a whisper.

"I hope I am not interrupting anything," he said menacingly.Lucius followed his gaze to the elf, whose head had dropped into her hands.

"No, not at all, Severus," he said with dripping sarcasm."I was just leaving."He turned back to Reign and with very spiteful intentions, took her head in his hands and kissed her forehead."I look forward to our next encounter," he whispered to her.Reign's eyes followed him as he straightened, walked to the door, and smiled at Severus before exiting.She didn't want him to go.She wished he had stayed and just been there with her.She wished anyone were with her—just not him.

"I see you and Lucius are getting along well," he stated as he stepped into the room.Reign pulled her robes back on and wrapped her arms around herself.She met Snape's blazing eyes with a pure look of innocence.

"There is nothing between us."

"The position in which I discovered you both would prove otherwise."He stood in front of her with his arms crossed and his eyebrow raised.Reign lowered her head, but Severus took a finger and raised it up again."Two days you've been here, and already you have given your heart away again."

"There is no heart to give," she replied."It still resides with another."His finger left her chin and he glided over to the window.

"Then your efforts have been wasted.A sinister heart will not heal a shattered one."

"Your words hurt, Severus."

"So did yours!" he shouted, whipping around to face her.As he spoke, he walked slowly toward the elf."I never thought I would see you again.Yet here you are.What am I supposed to do?"

"Listen to the truth."

"It is hard to believe in truth these days," he said with glazed eyes.

"Will you try?" Reign asked as she lifted herself from the edge of the bed."Please, Severus.There is so much you don't understand."She rested her hand on his chest and he instantly pulled away.Her hand went to her forehead and she kneaded the skin there as she thought of how to explain it all to him."Jonah," she began, "he demanded that I leave--"

"I know."

"And the elders," she continued, ignoring his interruption, "they knew exactly what was going on here.They knew about the potion.They knew about _us."Severus advanced on her._

"I know all of this!Why, Reign?We could have just left Hogwarts--"

"No, they would have found us.They said that if I got to be with you, then they would have to let others be with humans as well.They said it would lead to our eventual extinction."

"Who cares!?"The veins in his neck were pulsating and his face was turning red with frustration.He grabbed Reign by the shoulders and her eyes widened with fright."Reign, you're not giving me a good enough reason!" he shouted at her.

"I left to save you!" she shouted back.Severus released her and stepped back, staring at her curiously.

"What?"

"In order to make sure I would leave, the elders gave Jonah specific instructions to kill you if I resisted."Severus looked away.His eyes softened and the color drained from his face.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" 

"Would you have let me go?"No, he wouldn't have.She stepped slowly forward."Severus, there are not words to describe how sorry I am for what I did to you."He looked down into her emerald eyes, and his heart was torn."But please know that I did it for love."He looked down at his feet.

"I have slowly been tearing myself apart for 18 years, wondering what happened to us--"

"We were only separated for awhile," she replaced her hand on his chest, but this time he did not back away."Can't we start over?"

"Start _over?" he repeated, pulling back."Reign, I __died that day!And ever since then I have been wandering aimlessly in Purgatory."_

"I'm sorry!" 

"Are you?"Reign stopped and tilted her head.She drew her eyebrows together.

"Yes!For _Kor's sake I'm sorry!" she screamed."I would give anything if I could go back.But you're alive, and here we are."She tried one last time to place her hand on him.Severus lowered his head."I understand that you're hurt.All I ask is that we learn to respect one another again."Her hand left his chest and went to his cheek.Her bright eyes looked pleadingly into his."I don't want to live for all eternity knowing that you hate me."Severus went numb.His heart wanted to forgive her.It screamed out at him. _You don't hate her!Tell her!She's here, and she wants to love you again!Tell her!_but his brain was telling him otherwise._What are you thinking?You can't take her back!Don't you remember what she's done to you?You are cold and bitter, because of her!_He didn't know who to side with.And then Reign spoke again._

"I still love the man I once knew."That did it for him.He stepped back.

"I am not that man anymore," he whispered.Reign was losing him.He was walking backwards, away from her."Because of you."And there it was.The knife in her chest.Reign's breathing increased and her eyes darted back and forth.

"No, Severus.Please."She went to grab him, but he was too quick for her.He went to the door, shaking his head.

"No, not now.This is too much.It's too soon."Reign ran to the door as he exited her rooms.But as he stalked down the hall, she did not follow him.She just yelled out to him.

"Severus!"

He did not turn back.

"SEVERUS!"

He was gone.


	16. A Stream of Emotions

Chapter Sixteen

A Stream of Emotions

Reign found herself in the same position she was in when Lucius had come to see her.  The icy glass cooled her entire body, but it was not cold enough to freeze and stop her tears.  She was huddled by a window again, but not in her rooms.  Down the corridor and to the right from there was a window that she often came to sit at and think when she posed as a student at Hogwarts.  Now she was here for comfort and solitude.  

She should have never let Hagrid convince her to stay.  But he never did.  It was her choice to stay.  She was the one who decided to tell Harry and his friends that she would "see them tomorrow".  What a fool she was.  

Even though her eyes were shut tight the tears still squeezed through.  They flowed silently down her cheeks and onto her robes, leaving a dark trail behind them.  Reign was so angry with herself that she started banging her head against the window.  One hit after another, but it didn't help.  Nothing—no one—could help her now.  

What had she said that pushed Severus away?  What _didn't_ she say?  Her mind traced her steps back to their conversation, but it strayed to his appearance.  He looked tired.  Not fatigued, but tired of time, of life.  His black eyes were void of the hint of love and kindness they once possessed.  He wore more layers than he used to, and that hid his lean figure and suggested he wanted to remain hidden.  His hair he had neglected for some time.  It was so hard seeing him like that, so hard knowing that _she was the reason he was like that.  _

Reign put her head down into her knees and wept for all that was lost and all that could have been.  When she lifted her head to dry her tears a dark figure stepped forward from the shadows.  Reign pressed up against the window, not wanting to go through another horrific reunion with him.  

But it wasn't him.

It was _him._

            "Lucius," she gasped as she wiped her tears, "goodness, man, don't you have a home?"  The man stepped forward and laughed at her question.  It was a true laugh—young and sincere—and yet there was a hint of something in it that Reign did not like.

            "Of course I have a home," he said as he lifted himself up to sit next to her.  "I forgot my cane in Dumbledore's office."  He lifted the walking stick up and Reign shuddered at the snake atop of it.  It was glaring at her.  She followed it as Malfoy lowered it and brought his hand up to wipe away the rest of her tears.  "It hurts to see you like this."

            "It hurts to be like this."  Lucius wore a look of concern, but knew better than to ask what had happened after he left.  "I should have never come back," Reign whispered as she stared out the window.

            "Nonsense!  Of course you should have come back.  If you hadn't, you might have never met me."  Reign smiled and shook her head.  She appreciated his efforts to make her feel better, but she knew they weren't any good.  

            "I know I hurt him," she started, "but why is he acting so--"

            "Bullheaded?"  Reign lifted her head and stared curiously at the man sitting next to her.  "Arrogant?  Sadistic?  Childish?"  They both laughed, and when the pleasant noise resided Lucius leaned in and spoke softly to the elf.  "Reign, you can't just change Severus any time you like.  I've known him for years, trust me."

            "I know, but--"

            "Just let it go.  At least for now."  He brought his hand up to caress her cheek.  His touch melted the elf.  She closed her eyes.  "For now, tell me what to do to help you."  She opened her eyes and stared into Malfoy's.  Stared into them, trying to see his soul.  Was it pure?  Was he being sincere?  She didn't even care at that moment.  All she wanted was someone there, who acted like they cared.  She crawled into his lap and lay there like a small child.  Lucius stroked her hair, which entwined itself with his.  Her silver-white locks made his look dull.  He rocked gently back and forth as he held Reign in his arms.

            "All I want is for someone to hold me," she whispered into his cloak.  At that moment, Lucius Malfoy felt something surge through his body that he had never felt before--sympathy.

***

An hour later Reign was asleep.  Lucius carried her limp body back to her rooms and laid her down on her bed.  After removing her robes he pulled the covers over her and tucked her in.  It was something he hadn't done since Draco was very young.  A deep sigh escaped the elf's lips as she settled her head into the pillow.  The moonlight drifted into the room and illuminated her soft features.  She still had a few scratches from her village incident.  Lucius bent his head and cursed his master for what he did to her.  And he cursed himself.  Because he was there.  

He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her sleep.  He hadn't seen her when they raided her village.  Or maybe he had.  Elves looked so much alike that he very well could have seen her, but his memory held nothing.  Besides, everyone that he met that night he had killed, so he couldn't have met her.  

His hand grasped hers and held tight, and the sympathy flowed from his body into hers, and she smiled in her sleep.

***

NOTE:  A short but illuminating chapter, wouldn't you say?  Thank you so much to everyone who has been reviewing this story.  I appreciate every single one of you.  If I could reach out and hug you, I would.  But alas, it is the computer screen that prevents me from doing so.  But no matter, that is why there are "author's note"-s, which act as thank-you notes, and hugs. 


	17. A New Day

NOTE: This chapter has been partially re-written.  I really, REALLY hated the first draft, but I think this one is much better.  Anyway, on with the story…

Chapter Seventeen

A New Day

Reign awoke in the most unflattering position—and the most uncomfortable one.  Somehow—throughout her endless tossing and turning through the night—her head had rolled off of her pillow and hung limp over the side of the bed.  Her right arm graced the carpeted floor while her left lay where her head should have rested.  The sheets were wrapped numerous times around her clothed body.  Her hair was, to say the least, a mess.  She only awoke because she felt something wet drip onto her right hand—_her own saliva_.  

Reign sprang up in bed and shook the disgusting liquid from her hand.  Then that hand went to her neck; the pain that shot through it could only be described as the painful shock from a bolt of lightning.  The muscles in her neck and shoulders were so sore it was impossible to stretch them.  She tried rubbing her neck as she slowly turned to the right.  Her glazed eyes caught sight of herself in the mirror from her wardrobe and they immediately came into focus.  Her hand went from her neck to her hair and she whimpered at the sight of her electrified mess of string attached to her head.  

Reign groaned melodramatically as she pulled herself out of bed.  Every muscle throbbed in protest.  She cursed Severus for plaguing her dreams and causing her so much restlessness.  But she couldn't really blame him.  She sighed as she took a step forward toward the bathroom; but she didn't make it very far.  Her sheets had tangled themselves around her legs and she fell straight to the floor.  She gasped and threw her arms out to prevent her face from hitting the ground, but her plan was only half successful.  Her forehead still hit, and when she lifted her head she noticed fresh blood sitting on the carpet.  Her fingers went to her scar; it had been split open again.  Reign dropped her head against the floor and flopped her arms to the side.  She never wanted to leave that spot.  It was one of those moments where she just wanted to give up on everything.  She just wanted to sit and reflect.  Her body eased its way up and down as she breathed into the floor.  She turned over on her back and stared up at the ceiling, bringing the vengeful sheets up to cover her wound.  It felt good to stretch her back out flat, and even better to not have a care in the world at that moment.  

The sunlight streamed in the window, bombarding her eyes with its harsh weapons of annoyance.  She spread the sheets over her eyes and moaned.  She knew the sun was telling her to get up and move on.  It was telling her to _live her life_.  

She threw the bloody covers off and rolled backwards onto her knees.  It was a very lethargic, slightly ridiculous process, but she made it out in the end.  As she sat on her knees, staring over the bed into her mirror, she smoothed back her mangled hair and yawned.  It was then that she noticed she was wearing the same clothes from the day before.  It was then that she remembered Lucius.  

She placed her fingers on the Black Diamond that he had given her, and the coldness from the jewel spread through her body like the plague.  She knew she should take it off, but her body did not listen to her brain.  It was the first time in her life that she didn't know what to think of a person.  She still couldn't tell whether Lucius Malfoy was a "good guy" or a "bad guy".  

He had really seemed sincere the previous night, but there was something about him—some feeling that she got whenever she was around him—that told her to stay away from him.  And really she had; he was the one who kept finding her.  He must have carried her back to her rooms after their encounter in the hall.  She vaguely remembered the journey.  She had floated in his arms as he carried her down the dark corridor.  A tingling sensation spread through her knees and back where he had held her.  And in her hand, also, where he held it right before he left.  She remembered that moment quite well, though she believed she had dreamt it.  The warmth that spread from his hand to hers was overwhelming, but it was also—in a peculiar way—comforting.  That's why she had smiled.  It was the warmth, the connection that he had made with her.  But why?  Reign scratched her tired face as she contemplated the situation.

She thought about him as she was showering, still trying to understand his intentions.  His eyes drifted into her mind as the water poured over her closed lids.  Those piercing steel eyes that had gone over her in the bookshop in Hogsmeade.  Those eyes that had held arrogance and contempt.  Those same eyes that expressed concern for her well-being.  They were so mesmerizing.  Much more interesting to stare into than Severus'.  His were always cold and spiteful, even when he was being sincere.  Malfoy's eyes were a gathering storm; the shades of gray swirled in his sockets and captured the minds of all who gazed at them.    

Reign stepped out of the shower and dried herself off.

Her wet hair lay soft on her shoulders, and she compared it to Malfoy's.  His was much duller in color compared to hers, though his locks were paler than most.  It made him seem...wiser, in a way.  It was hard to explain what she thought of it.  She curled her upper lip as she stared into the mirror, trying to imitate him.  He seemed so..._proud_.  He always carried himself high as he strutted everywhere, though where most would think that was a sign of arrogance, it made Reign feel safe.  And yet she also felt vulnerable around him.  

And his nose wasn't hooked like Snape's, and his square jaw and strong neck were both forces in themselves to be reckoned with.  His wardrobe was definitely taken into more consideration than the Potion master's.  Everything about him was well taken care of—even the buttons of his cloak.  The only thing that she could not compare were their voices—nothing would ever come close to the soothing, shiver-inducing tone of Snape's.  But those _eyes_.  And the way he smiled.  He had a wonderful smile, etched with lines of character that made him seem actually _human_. 

Reign stopped as she pulled on her last boot.  What in the name of all that is good was she thinking?  She hardly knew this man and here she was talking to herself about how attractive he was.  The elf cursed herself as she stood up and straightened her clothes.  Her knees creaked under the pressure of her tired body.  She brushed off her emotions and decided that it was only a side effect to her shock and disappointment of Snape's rejection of her.  After all, it wasn't the first time that she had fallen into the arms of the first man who let her after a broken relationship; and it certainly wouldn't be the last.  But this time she would try, for the sake of her sanity, to _slow down_.  She shrugged it off as she pulled on her robes and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

It was the first time the entire student body had seen her since her dramatic arrival a few days earlier, and the same curious and shocked looks crept up their faces as she walked down the center aisle.  She kept her head held high and her posture straight as she strode toward Albus at the staff table.  A hand reached out and took hold of her robes, and she looked slowly toward the perpetrator.  It was a seventh year Gryffindor with brilliant red hair—Ronald Weasley.  Her stone face softened when she took sight of his nervous smile.  She placed a hand on his shoulder and beamed warmly at him and his friends.    

            "Good morning."

            "Morning," they chimed.  Ron and Harry sat next to each other while Hermione sat across from them.  Their fellow Gryffindors stared in awe at their relationship with the elf—carefree and friendly.  Reign scanned the table, taking in the smells of the breakfast foods and the students drooling over them.  She stopped at the sight of a young woman who looked very much like herself.  Reign cocked her head, eyeing the girl inquisitively.  Her hair was much darker, but the shape of her face and her features looked very much like the elf's.  A shiver ran up Reign's spine as the girl laughed—she even _sounded_ like her.  

From across the table, Caelan controlled herself after hearing about one of Neville Longbottom's infamous unfortunate events.

            "You should have seen the look on Professor Snape's face!  He looked like someone had just caught him with his britches down!"  Caelan was laughing again at Seamus Finnigan's recollection.  When her giggling resided and she wiped the tears from her eyes, she noticed the older woman staring at her intriguingly.  She straightened up and stared straight back.  _So this is the woman I remind Professor Snape of_, she thought silently.  The girl gave a wave and a smile to Reign, who was startled by her sudden gestures.  Nevertheless, she returned the notion with a warm smile of her own.

            "Do you want to sit with us?" Ron asked, trying to avert her attention back to them.

            "Pardon?  Oh yes, I'd love to," she answered, looking back at the girl.  She was eating now.  Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of the Headmaster, who beckoned her to the front of the hall.  "I'll be right back," she said to the trio.  "Save me a spot."  As she glided to the staff table, she dared to take a glimpse at Severus, who sat toward the end.  He was watching her as she walked, but when her eyes met his, the saddened look was quickly replaced with a contemptuous glare.  Reign looked away and stepped up to speak with Albus.

            "Good morning," he whispered to her.  "How are we feeling this fine day?"  Reign rubbed her sore neck as she answered.

            "I've been better."  The old wizard smiled at her.

            "Haven't we all?" he said with a wink.  "Well since you are here, I thought I would introduce you to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."  His eyes twinkled as he spoke and Reign could sense a deeper meaning.  "Or perhaps _re-_introduce you," he added with a smirk.  He turned to his left and looked down the table toward a young woman whom Reign knew she recognized from somewhere.  That soft brown hair and predominant features set off an alarm in her mind, though she could not place a name with the face.  She was speaking with Professor Trelawney, who had just said something that obviously offended her in some way.  She pursed her lips and took on a very serious tone.

And with that Reign immediately recognized her.  


	18. Echoes

Chapter Eighteen

Echoes

Reign looked from the woman to the Headmaster, who winked at her before taking a sip from his goblet.  Her wide eyes drifted back to the woman, and her feet followed their path.  As she slowly approached, the new teacher caught sight of her and dropped her napkin.  She rose from her seat as the elf leapt gracefully over the table and embraced her.

            "Reign," she whispered into the white hair of the elf, "I thought you had left us forever."  Reign pulled back and held the woman at arms' length.

            "Never," she said with a smile.  She took a good look at the woman opposite of her.  "Goodness, who ever thought Helena Saxon would become a professor at Hogwarts.  I am thoroughly impressed."  Helena blushed.  Reign wrapped her arms around the woman again.  "It's good to see a familiar face," she said with a sorrowful voice.

            "Indeed it is."  Helena pulled back and tilted her head when she noticed Reign's eyes had begun to water.  "What is it?"  The elf brought her arm up to wipe away her tears.  

            "It's nothing.  I've just been through a lot the past week.  All these emotions are starting to catch up with me."

            "I understand.  We'll have to catch up soon."  Reign nodded.  Inside she felt so childish.  How could she let Helena see her like this?  What was the matter with her?  "Reign?"  

            "Hmm?"

            "I said, 'how about we talk after dinner?'"

            "Oh, that sounds wonderful."  The two women hugged one last time before they took their respected seats.  Reign was about to leap over the staff table again, but thought better of it after noticing the odd looks from students and staff alike.  So she walked slowly all the way around the table and down to wear the Gryffindors sat.  There were many pairs of eyes who watched her go—none as intently as Snape's.

Reign took an empty seat next to Hermione and stared helplessly at the breakfast foods.  She didn't know where to begin.

            "Reign?"

            "Hmm?"

            "I said, 'How do you know Professor Saxon?'"  Reign felt as if an echo floated through the room as Hermione repeated her question.

            "Oh, we went to school here together," she said absent-mindedly as she reached for the fruit bowl.  The trio paused in their eating to gaze at her.

            "What do you mean, you _went to school together_?" inquired Ron.  Reign dropped a bundle of grapes onto her plate and froze.  They didn't know.  Of course they didn't know.  

            "Um, well, you see..." she began, only to freeze again at her loss of words.  She looked from one curious face to the next, and decided to tell a very short and sweet version of her tale.  "Eighteen years ago I came to Hogwarts to seek refuge from the Dark Lord--"

            "What?  Why was Voldemort after you?" Harry asked.  Ron punched him for saying the dreaded name.

            "He was after a potion that I created."  She provided no other explanation before continuing on.  "Professor Dumbledore took me in and suggested I pose as a student.  So I did."  The three Gryffindors were fixated on her as she told them her story.  "But only for a few months.  The Dark Lord found out I was here, so I left and went back to my village."  She plucked a grape from the bundle and popped it into her mouth.

            "That's it?" Ron asked, slightly disappointed.  Hermione gave him a death stare.  "_What_?" he shot at her.  Reign ignored their confrontation and continued eating her grapes.  After consuming three of the fruit, the bell rang, signaling the end of breakfast and the beginning of the school day.  The elf watched as the students and teachers rose from their seats and exited the halls.  She had slept in later than she thought—any later and she probably would have missed breakfast altogether.  After saying their goodbyes Harry, Ron, and Hermione disappeared through the steady stream of students flowing out of the Great Hall.  She looked up as the teachers came her way, most of them smiling at her, one totally ignoring her.  She could feel the tension passing between them as he walked swiftly passed her and out into the foyer.  His black robes billowed as he floated along the stone floor, and Reign watched with sad eyes when he did not look back.

Albus was the last to leave.  He stopped in front of Reign, who gazed at her plate, oblivious to his presence.  The Headmaster took a seat across from her and folded his hands.  Only after clearing his throat did Reign look into his twinkling eyes, masked by his half-moon spectacles.  

            "What are your plans today?" he asked.  Reign was rubbing her neck again—even though she realized it was hopeless to rid her muscles of their soreness.

            "I'm not sure.  I'll probably just take it easy," she said as she stretched her arms over her head.  "I had a long night last night."  The look in his eyes told her that he already knew.  He _always_ knew.

            "Sounds splendid.  I wish I could join you."  The old man stood up and reached into his pocket.  "This may help you feel better."  He pulled out a chocolate bar and placed it in Reign's open palm.  "Have a very merry unbirthday!" he cried as he scooted away from the table.  He laughed.  "Those muggles...you've got to hand it to them..." he drifted off as he skipped out of the room.  Reign giggled when she caught wind of him whistling a silly tune as he danced through the castle.  

Now it was just her in the Great Hall.  Places like this always seemed bigger when they were empty.  Reign sat the chocolate bar down next to her plate and drew a deep breath.  She closed her eyes and breathed even deeper; and then she caught the familiar scent of a man.  When she opened her eyes he stood before her, that devilishly handsome smile gracing his face and his eyes swirling in their sockets.  His hair was pulled back to the nape of his neck and tied with a black ribbon.  His gloved hands rested on top of his serpent cane as he supported himself on it.

            "Back already?"  Lucius laughed at her question and took the seat previously occupied by Albus.

            "One can never stay away for too long when their business is at Hogwarts."  Reign took another grape and placed it in her mouth.  The sweet juice oozed from its container and filled her cheeks as she chewed.

            "And what exactly is your business at Hogwarts?" she asked after swallowing.

            "To ensure that the students of this school receive the best and safest education the wizarding world can offer," he recited as he took a grape from the elf's plate.

            "And do you enjoy your job?"  Lucius swallowed.

            "Thoroughly," he grinned.  All at once Reign despised him.  She loathed the way he enticed her, the way he toyed with her, and she despised herself for almost _enjoying_ it.

            "Reign?"

            "Hmm?"  

            "I asked how you slept last night?"  There it was again—that same echo.

            "Absolutely dreadfully," she recounted with the most bitter of tones.  Lucius laughed.  The sound bounced off the walls and rang in her ears long after he was finished.  He leaned over the table to grab another grape.

            "Perhaps you're not sleeping in the right bed," he whispered.  Reign was appalled, and her face showed it.

            "And what, pray-tell, do you mean by that?"  Lucius sucked the fruit into his mouth as a child would, his eyes laughing at Reign.

            "What do you think I meant?"  The elf glared at the man as he raised his eyebrow and took on an innocent look about him.  They engaged in a staring contest; Reign was famous for them—not because she always won, but because she always resorted to them when she was either trying to figure someone out or was at a loss for words.  The contest was left unfinished as a small green object flew between them and broke their concentration.  Lucius leaned back and stared cautiously at the toad sitting comfortably on the table.  

            "What the--" Malfoy began as he lifted his cane to rid the world of the hideous reptile.

            "Lucius!" Reign gasped.

            "TREVOR!"  Neville Longbottom came galloping to the rescue and threw himself between Lucius and his sacred pet.  "This is _my_ toad, Mr. Malfoy.  I lost him this morning when I left for breakfast."  He pulled Trevor into his hands and away from the weapon in Malfoy's hand.  Lucius snarled at the trembling boy.

            "Longbottom, you fool!  Perhaps if you kept better track of your toad, _he_ could keep better track of _your_ head!" he spat.  Reign glared at him, but he did not see.  Neville saw the look, however, and was grateful when Reign cleared her throat and held the man's attention long enough for him to slip out without any further insult.  

            "Where did that come from?"  Reign's eyebrows were drawn together as she awaited his reply.

            "He had it coming.  No one just loses a pet as frequently as that fool.  He's just like his parents--"

            "Lucius," Reign snapped, "_stop_."  Malfoy closed his mouth and repositioned himself in his seat.  It was the first time in a very long time that he had let a woman tell him what to do.  "He's just a boy."

            "Yes, well, if he stays _just a boy_, he'll never make it out in the real world."

            "Oh come off it," the elf laughed, "I'm sure he's not completely brainless."  Lucius did not laugh with her.  "What's gotten into you?"

            "Life, Reign.  Business—no games, no pity."  Reign didn't know whether he was referring to Neville or her.  "I have to go speak with the Headmaster."  He rose from the table and bowed to the elf before leaving.  He, too, did not look back as he strode out of the Great Hall.  

And once again, as with so many times before, Reign felt very, very…alone.


	19. Reflections

This story is for Messenger, because she wanted more Snape (sheesh, don't we all? ;)  Thanks to all my reviewers, I think my writer's block is over (at least for this chapter and the next), so I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen

Reflections

Reign left the Great Hall just as alone as when she entered it.  But this time there were no eyes staring at her, wondering, inspecting.  In fact, there was no one...anywhere.  She stood in the foyer at the top of the steps and wrapped her robes around her; her eyes darting back and forth, contemplating which direction she should take.  She decided to walk down the steps, so that's just what her mind commanded her feet to do.  They carried her angelically down the steps and out onto the front lawn of Hogwarts.  Yet again there was another bright day waiting for her.  She thought it rather odd that every day she had been here had been a beautiful one, but she wasn't about to complain.  Once she was outside she stopped again.  Where now?  A cool breeze whispered to her as it blew softly through her hair.  _Left,_ it said.  So she turned left, and her eyes met Hagrid's hut.  Now her feet took control and carried her down the grassy slope.  The fresh air felt wonderful as it filled her lungs.  The birds were singing their soothing tunes and the water of the lake glistened underneath the mid-morning sun.  _Even the most beautiful of paintings would not do this day justice, _she thought as she strode toward the paddock at the back of Hagrid's cabin.  As she came around the corner, Cypress drew back from the fence where he had been feeding, startled by her sudden appearance.  But the shock immediately resided, and it seemed a small smile crept over his massive face as Reign raised her hand and stroked his cheek.  

            "Is Hagrid still here?" she asked the horse.  He responded with a shake of his great head and turned it toward the forest.  Through the trees Reign could make out the faint white glow of a unicorn—surrounded by several short, darker figures, and one very large one.  

            "I see.  Well, I guess it's just you and me then, old friend."  She smiled, and the horse responded by nudging her shoulder affectionately.  The elf took the reins hanging on the edge of the fence and placed them on Cypress.  After opening the gate she led him to the lake.  The soothing thud of the horse's hooves gave her a sense of familiarity that she was grateful for.  Upon reaching the edge of the lake the woman removed the reins.  The horse did not move, however, but remained by her side; a look of confusion perplexing his powerful face.  

            "Go on," she urged, "go get some exercise."  She slapped the horse on the haunches and he sprang to life in an instant.  Reign smiled as she sat down on the grass to watch Cypress gallop across the lawn, darting in and out of his own steps, rearing on its hind legs and showing off for the elf.  She stopped watching after awhile, and turned her attention to the waters of the lake.  They swirled where the giant squid disturbed them, and she fell into the swirls as her mind drifted.  

            What was she supposed to do now?  Her life seemed to have no meaning.  She had destroyed her home, even if it was indirectly, and now she was left with nothing.  And the only man that she thought might let her live his life with him despised her.  Or at least acted like it.  She had a sudden urge to go give a piece of her mind to Severus.  Damn him for the way he shut himself away from the rest of the world.  If things didn't go his way then things didn't _go_ at all.  

            She also had a sudden urge to leave.  Cypress darted across her line of vision, disturbing her thoughts.  She had half a mind to jump atop him and gallop off to...wherever.  Preferably, she yearned to go back to her village.  Survey the damage, try to find survivors, perhaps even start over.  But that seemed impossible.  The destruction was so massive that it seemed permanent.  So she didn't get up.  

            Because she was scared.  Scared to even move, to even live the rest of the day.  She was scared of what she would find if she went back: of what she _wouldn't find if she went back.  It was an adventure she wasn't about to take part in.  So she sat by the lake, and Cypress came to her with that smile on his face.  And she replaced his reins and walked him back to the paddock.  And after closing the gate her feet carried her back up the slope, into the castle, through the halls, and to her rooms.  _

            And she was amazed at how fast she had gotten back.  It was that feeling she sometimes got where she was walking but she didn't know why or where, or even how.  She was just walking.  But here she was in her rooms, and she had no idea what to do now.  She was alone again, and she wished desperately that she wasn't.  It would have been fine even with Lucius there.

Lucius.

He didn't seem like himself that morning.  The way he insulted that poor boy made him look so mean, so...unprofessional.  It made him look ugly.  And Reign didn't like it.  And once again she was frustrated because she didn't know what to think of him.  

***

Dinner seemed to drag on forever.  She reluctantly passed up the famous trio's offer to sit by them and was dragged instead to the staff table by Helena.  The atmosphere in the Hall was—for the most part—pleasant.  But Reign could feel the icy stare coming from the other end of the table—the cold but slightly saddened look emanating from the Potions master.  The feeling was gone as soon as it came, but her appetite left with it.  As she poked the food on her plate Helena spoke to her.

            "Reign, you should really eat something.  You're looking thin."  She was right; Reign hadn't eaten a decent meal in days, and it was starting to take its toll on her.  So she slowly raised a stalk of celery to her mouth.  It stayed in there for a long time as she chewed it to the consistency of applesauce.  After swallowing she went for her goblet.  The pumpkin juice was almost too sweet for her, but she sipped it anyway.  Despite the urging of Helena to eat, she still didn't consume as much as either of them would have liked.  So when they walked up to Helena's rooms together, Professor Saxon pulled out two small tablets and handed them to Reign.

            "What are these for?"

            "Just some nutrients and vitamins.  I'd rather you get them from food, but until you get your appetite back you can have these."  When they got to their destination Helena fetched a glass of water from the bathroom and Reign gulped it down with the supplements.  After a few minutes she began to feel more _alive_.  She thanked her friend as they sat next to each other by her fire.  

            "So what's bothering you?  Besides the obvious."  Reign shot her a look of shock.  "I mean…shit.  I'm sorry, Reign.  I didn't mean it like that."

            "It's all right," she replied, turning to gaze into the flames.

            "I really am sorry about what happened.  Dumbledore informed the staff right after you told him.  That must have been so horrible for you."      

            "It was," Reign said with an icy tone, not in the slightest grateful for Helena reminding her.  The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher shifted uncomfortably in her seat.  

            "But really, what else is bothering you?"  There was a long pause.

            "Did I ever tell you about Professor Snape?" she said with distant eyes.

            "What about him?"

Reign spent an hour explaining her former relationship with Severus, and the whole time Helena was the quietest the elf had ever seen her.  After the story was told Professor Saxon sat back in her seat, exhausted from all the listening she had to do.  

            "Wow," was all that escaped her lips.  

            "Yeah," came the reply.  "So what do you think?  Is he overreacting?  Or am I under reacting?" 

            "I really can't say.  I mean, I guess I can see where both of you are coming from."  Reign sighed as she slumped against the back of her chair.

            "Sometimes I wish my life was just…over."

            "Hey," Helena snapped as she grabbed Reign's arms, "don't ever say that."  The reply she got was a smile from the elf.  

            "I'm sorry.  I just feel like my life has no purpose anymore.  That my immortality could be used more wisely and effectively by someone else."

            "Oh nonsense.  There is a plan for everyone.  Yours is just longer than most."

            "Whatever you say, Helena."  The women smiled at each other.  Reign then removed herself from her seat and said goodnight to the professor.  Before she went out the door, however, Helena took hold of her arm.

            "Promise me you won't do anything I wouldn't do."

            "What do you mean by that?"

            "Just remember that there _is _a plan for you.  Don't cut it short."

            "I won't.  I promise."

***

Seven minutes later Reign was on top of the Astronomy Tower, standing on the ledge, looking out into the night as it crept over the land.  Tears were streaming down her face as the winds blew her hair and thrashed her robes.  She looked down at the ground; it didn't seem that far down.  But it was dark, and her tears obscured her depth perception.  She wiped them away and breathed deep in order to calm herself down.  A promise—that's what she made to Helena.  She wasn't about to break it; she was just thinking, that's all.  And crying.  And shaking.  And wondering how far she could fly before she fell.  And jumping out of her skin as a voice called to her from the darkness.

            "Reign?"  Severus Snape stepped out from the shadows and stopped.  The creature standing before him was not the elf he once knew.  He could not see her contorted face, her disturbed mind; all he saw was her hair being played with by the now tranquil breeze and her robes floating about her legs.  The night was calm as the clouds rolled in, but they left a space for the moon to pour through.  It fell upon Reign and illuminated her in a most beautiful angelic fashion.  He was breath-taken by her appearance, remaining fixated in his spot as he watched her on the ledge.

            Reign did not turn to look at him.  Instead she stood motionless, hoping to disappear with the breeze.  But it would not take her.  As Severus crossed his arms and walked toward her, the sound of his boots on the stone did not move her.  

            The Potions master peered over the edge of the Astronomy Tower a few feet from the elf.  The ledge itself was not a small one by any means.  It was three feet wide, but one could still fall if they were to slip.  When he pulled back he spoke sarcastically.

            "Wouldn't this be classified as the easy way out?"  There was no reaction from Reign.  The man's lip twitched as he waited for her to speak.  It wasn't until he was lost in the clouds that she did.

            "Perhaps to some," she said, still trapped in her own oblivion.  Her voice was soft and her eyes were distant as they stared straight ahead.  "But it is harder than most seem to think."  She gathered her robes and pulled them tight to her body.  "There is a lot to think about before you jump," she said as she took a step forward.  Severus moved forward also, prepared to grab her if she tried.  But she didn't.  Pulling back, she began again.  "A lot to remember...as you try to forget."  It was then that she looked at him.  The pain in her eyes pierced his heart, making him want to run to her and hold her in his arms, and relieve all the pain.  But he stood fast.  Reign looked away and lowered herself to sit on the ledge.  "I wasn't going to jump," she said softly but defiantly.  She waited patiently as Severus walked slowly toward her.  As he sat down next to her, he said,  "Wouldn't have worked for you anyway."  Reign looked up at him, the pain still plaguing her youthful face, making her look years older than she was.  "Elves are immortal, right?" he said, trying to answer her silent question.  She looked away.

            "I suppose you could say we are immortal.  We can never die, unless we are killed.  And if we are killed, we die."  If she would have turned to her right, she would have laughed at the confused look Severus was wearing.  "So in a sense, we are immortal as long as we hide from those who endanger our immortality.  I prefer not to be such a coward."  She paused, playing with the hems of her robes.  "It just doesn't seem fair if you don't do anything with it.  It's every man's dream, and every lonesome elf's curse."

            "Surely it isn't that bad."  Reign snorted.  What did he know?  Nothing about immortality.  So she would have to enlighten him.

            "I assure you it is not all that it is cracked up to be.  It's not worth it, unless everything and everyone you knew was also immortal.  If that is not the case—if you form relationships with mortals—your life is already ruined.  You have to watch them pass through your life like a raindrop," she brought her hand up to wipe her eye, "or a tear.  And when the tears are wiped away, you are still alive; but you are alone.  And a little piece of you dies.  A hole forms in your heart.  And that hole grows larger until it has consumed your heart, and you become lost and depressed."  Severus felt the analogy was oddly familiar.  "Then it moves into your mind and drives you insane.  And when that is done it slithers inside your soul."  Her tone became very solemn.  "But it just sits there, nibbling away at you for all eternity.  And you are much worse than dead."  Reign's story was finished, and as she sat—still staring off into some invisible world—Severus sat uncomfortably on the hard stone, not knowing what to do or say.  Luckily, he didn't have to do anything.  Reign started to speak again.  "Why are you here?"

            "I come up here to think," he said, looking up at the clouds.

            "Ah, a dangerous pastime."  Reign was suddenly awake.  She leaned back on the ledge and waited for Snape's response.

            "How so?"

            "Well, thinking is the root of all destruction."

            "Then why grant us that privilege?"

            "Because thinking allows us to analyze and make ourselves better people and the world a better place." 

            "I see no harm in that."

            "There is none unless we do it for too long—if that is the case, we start to linger on everything that is evil in the world and in our lives.  We destroy ourselves and others: for all destructive thinking comes last in the process.  Just think about it."  She smiled.  "When you first saw me, when I was beaten and broken, at first you felt sorry for me.  But then you started thinking.  You thought about all the pain I caused you and how your life has been destroyed because of me."  Severus did not respond.  He folded his hands and waited until a clever response came to him.

            "But do we not imagine and create while thinking?"

            "Create, yes.  And therein lies the paradox.  Imagine, no.  We imagine in our dreams."

            "When did you become so wise?"  Reign turned to him and her eyes burned into his.

            "When I stared death in the face and beat him at his own game—and lived to see that others had not."  She got up from the ledge.  "I know you are hurt, Severus.  And I'm sorry.  But I'm hurt too."  Reign didn't wait for a response.  She turned on her heel and left Severus alone on the ledge.


	20. Lunar Incident

I know some of you aren't going to like this chapter, but trust me, IT'S VITAL!!  And besides, it was way fun to write…

Chapter Twenty

Lunar Incident

The pure light from the moon streamed through the windows and onto the elf as she made her way through the castle.  It illuminated her proud features like a spotlight on a trophy.  Her prize—she had left Severus speechless.  The upper lip of her mouth curled into a smirk as she reflected on their conversation.  She had never been more proud of her actions—which was slightly sad, in a way, but nonetheless very exciting for her.  Reign had spoken her peace in three simple words: _I'm hurt too._  The smirk turned to a full-out smile as she glided through the moonlit halls.  She just hoped that her proud achievement would not go unnoticed by the very man they were aimed at.  Hopefully Severus would try to understand where she was coming from; and perhaps give her a second chance.  He never seemed too keen on second chances.   Her heart sank once more as the reality of it all crept over her like molten lava, burning into her soul and suffocating her.  If that hadn't worked, it was hopeless.  There would be no other remotely polite way to get through to him, and she dreaded the fact that she might have to turn mean.

            The light followed her as she walked, illuminating the way and providing a sense of protection.  But when Reign turned the corner, the light did not follow.  And for good reason, too.  

            The elf's scream echoed through the corridor, reverberating off the walls and back to her ears, making her even more nervous than she already was.  Her hand flew to her heart to stop its rapid and uneven beating.  Her body sank against the wall and her breath came in heaves as she tried desperately to regain self-control.  The figure that had scared her moved closer and touched her shoulder.  She pulled away, still clutching her heart.

            "For _Kor's sake, Lucius!  Are you _trying_ to kill me!?"  It was too dark to notice the smile that crept over his face.  By the time her eyes came into focus it was gone, and the only look now was that of concern.  He moved forward again and gently held her arm._

            "That is the last thing I would ever do."  He took her hand and brought it to his lips.  The tenderness of his mouth on her skin relaxed the elf and made her anxious all at once.  "I'm sorry if I frightened you."

            "It's all right.  You just seem to keep popping up when I least expect it, that's all."  She started to walk past him, but he stepped in front of her.  "Lucius, it's getting late.  I'm really not in the mood to converse with anybody right now."

            "Please, I want to apologize for earlier today."  Reign crossed her arms as he continued.  "I haven't had much sleep the past few nights, and I can get rather irritated.  I don't really know what got into me."  He stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her folded arms.  "I am truly sorry if I upset you."  His pale eyes cast their usual spell on the elf, and she had to force herself to look away.

            "Please don't worry yourself about it.  I understand."  She pushed his hands away and turned down the hall.  "I really am tired, Lucius.  I had an extraordinarily long day--"

            "Let me walk you to your rooms then."  He held out his arm for her.  "Please, it would be my pleasure."  Reign looked outside to the moon, which seemed to shake its head at her, warning her.  But she didn't listen.  After taking hold of his arm they walked down the hall together.  The moon stayed a few feet behind them the whole way.  

            "So what are you planning to do with your future now that you're at Hogwarts?"  Reign sighed.

            "I honestly have no idea."

            "Surely you've put some thought into it?"

            "Lucius, I have a very long future ahead of me.  If I put too much thought into it, I'll exhaust myself."  The pair laughed in the evening darkness.  The entire way to her rooms they conversed; mostly Lucius spoke of the budget problems of the school's, and how it was so hard for Dumbledore to choose how to solve it.  

            "No matter what he decides, there will be _someone_ who objects."

            "That is inevitable; you can't make everyone happy."

            "Very true.  I suppose we will just have to see."  They had arrived at Reign's door, and had lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.  "Reign," Lucius began, taking on a childish demeanor, "I am attracted to you."  The elf stepped back, taken off-guard and slightly light-headed.  Lucius grabbed a hold of her right before she fell into the wall.  When she steadied herself, he pulled back.  "I'm so sorry.  That was out of line--"

            "No, no, it's fine.  You don't have to apologize."  She placed her hand on his chest, and he in turn placed his hands on hers.

            "It's just that...every time I see you...whenever I'm around you...I just feel so...so _alive."_

            "Alive?" Reign repeated, slightly surprised.

            "Yes," Lucius whispered, stepping closer to her.  He took one hand and placed it on her cheek.  Reign flinched at his touch, but she immediately fell into its soft caress.  "You are so strong...so confident...so...graceful."  The elf's head snapped up to meet his gray eyes.

            "Graceful?"

            "Yes.  I have never seen anyone as graceful as you.  You are just like a peaceful dove soaring through the clouds, or an elegant flower petal floating on a cool autumn's breeze."  The eyes of the elf closed as she imagined herself floating on the wind.  "Or an angel flying in heaven."  Joyous tears were now falling softly down the elf's cheeks.  She could taste the salty water on her lips as she smiled up at Lucius.  "Why are you crying, dear angel?" he asked as he wiped away her tears.

            "No one...has ever...called me..._graceful_ before," she stuttered.  Lucius held her face in one hand and wrapped the other around her waist.  It had been so long since she had been held like that—with a strong, reassuring grip that she melted into.  Her knees threatened to buckle under her.

            "Perhaps no one has ever cared enough to notice," he whispered to her.  His breath was hot on her cheek and his lips lightly caressed the tiny hairs on her skin.  Reign's legs finally gave out on her and she fell into Lucius, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.  She was still crying; no one had _ever called her graceful before.  He hadn't told her she was beautiful, or __smart, but graceful.  It was enough to make any woman want to kiss him.  And that's exactly what she did.  _

It happened so suddenly that it startled Lucius.  She pulled him close and planted her lips on his, her tears sliding on his cheeks as well.  The moment their lips met the most electrifying ecstasy Lucius had ever felt surged through his body.  It was like being born, only better, because he could _remember it.  Her lips were soft and innocent, but the emotion with which powered the kiss appealed to Lucius so much that he wrapped both arms around the elf, and one hand caressing her back while the other went to her hair.  The fine strands of white flowed easily through his fingers while the kiss deepened.  Lucius could feel as she parted her lips to invite his tongue in.  He took up the offer, and the power rush was so strong that he pushed Reign back into the wall in order to steady himself.  It was like nothing he had ever experienced, and he didn't want it to end._

Neither did Reign.  When she had met his icy lips, her whole body tingled and goose bumps appeared on her skin.  But he was gentle, and as he wrapped his arms around her she fell into him, letting him take control.  She held tight to his neck, at first kissing hard because of how potent her emotions were.  But as she calmed down, so did the kiss, and instead of a short but influential lip-lock, they ended up kissing for a ridiculously long time.  She didn't care; didn't care if it was too long, didn't care if anyone found them, and didn't care if it never ended.  

In fact, she didn't want it to end at all, but Lucius pulled back slowly in order to catch his breath.  He rested his cheek against hers as they panted together, their chests rising rapidly against each other, arms still wrapped tightly around one another's bodies.  

            "What was that I felt while we kissed?"  Reign smiled, her lips tickling the hairs on Malfoy's face.

            "Elvin saliva," she gasped, still trying to seize her breath.  "It has immense healing powers, and can provide a warm sensation to those who do not necessarily need healing."

            "It was amazing," Lucius replied, still glued to Reign's cheek.  When finally his breathing returned to normal, he leaned back and tucked a stray hair behind the elf's ear.  He stopped before removing his hand, studying the feature and its slender point.  "You're amazing."

They kissed again—several small but tender kisses.  Reign pulled back first, slowly releasing the man's bottom lip from her grasp.  As she dug herself into his chest, Lucius kissed her forehead.  He felt Reign squeeze tighter; she _loved it when someone kissed her forehead.  The tingling sensation spread through her body again, making her want to cry for every doubting him.  As they stood in the hall—the moonlight now brave enough to spill over their entwined bodies—Reign mumbled something into his chest._

            "What is it?" he asked, pulling her head away from his chest and lifting it to meet his eyes.  She paused, trying to read his face—trying to predict his reaction.

            "Will you sleep with me tonight?"  Malfoy's eyes became huge as he dropped his hands and stepped away from her.  He laughed nervously.

            "Weren't you the one saying that we hardly knew each other?"  She took a step forward and placed her hands on his chest.

            "No, I don't mean it like that," she pleaded.  "I'm sorry.  What I meant was, will you sleep in my bed with me tonight?  It's been so long since I've had someone with me, someone to hold me while I slept.  Please, Lucius."  She buried her head into him again, but he did not back away.  He held her as he thought.  She was starting to make things complicated...but one night couldn't hurt, right?

            "Of course," he whispered into her hair.  She looked up at him with those big innocent eyes of her and he kissed her.  Reign held on to his arm as they entered her rooms, and only let go when Lucius began to unbuckle the clasp to his cloak.  He stripped down to his white long-sleeved shirt, and—despite taking his belt off—left his pants on.  Reign stared in awe at his muscular frame, slightly disappointed that it was still hidden under the shirt.  He climbed in bed next to her and pulled her into his arms.  She laid her head on his chest and let it slowly put her to sleep with its rhythmic movement, but the shirt was stiff and bothersome against her skin.

            "Why do you still wear this shirt?  Surely it can't be that comfortable," she said as she tried to at least roll up his sleeves.  He recoiled at her touch.

            "No, leave it," he snapped, pulling down the cuffs.  His reply was stern, and Reign did not pry into the matter any further.  They had come so far; she wasn't about to ruin it.  She had someone again.  Someone who would keep her safe and warm.  Someone who would respect and admire her.  Someone who would kiss her forehead and tell her she was graceful.  

The moon slipped silently away from the window, leaving Lucius and Reign in total darkness as they fell asleep in each other's arms.  


	21. Blood, Breakfast, and Broken Boils

Chapter Twenty-One

Blood, Breakfast, and Broken Boils

Lucius grunted as he awoke from his sleep to find his arm completely numb.  It was smothered by Reign as she lay across his chest with her leg wrapped around his lower body.  He looked down at her peaceful face.  Pools of tears still sat at the corners of her eyes, indicating that he hadn't been asleep for very long.  He needed to get out of there.  She was completely immersed in sleep, and if she hadn't thrown herself over him his escape would have been easy.  But Lady Luck wasn't being particularly kind to him that night, and it took a great amount of effort to get out of bed without waking Reign.  He picked up her arm with one hand and slipped her leg off with his other.  A deep sigh escaped her lips as he slid out from under her and jumped out of bed.  Upon turning to her, he noticed she had curled into a ball, now hugging the sheets around her as a replacement for his body.  Lucius scowled.  He hadn't been lying when he told her she was graceful, but as for strong and confident—she was nothing of the sort.  She had succumbed to him just as he had planned.  Almost too soon, even.  But his plan had worked.  He smirked at the vulnerable elf as she shuddered from lack of body heat.  Her hair fell across her face, and on an impulse Lucius removed the strands.  He looked from her face to her body hidden beneath the covers.  A little voice inside his head was trying to convince him to do some very bad things.  One of which would have killed him if he hadn't pushed it away.  The Dark Lord would not want her now; it was too soon.  So Lucius stood up and gathered his clothes.  In the midst of their sleep, his sleeves had rolled up, revealing his Dark Mark.  It was a miracle that she hadn't woken up to see it; or perhaps it was something else.  Either way, he quickly rolled his sleeves down, just in case she would happen to wake at that very moment.  Luckily she didn't.  As he pulled on the rest of his clothes, she lay silently huddled under the sheets.  The tears that were once gathered at her eyes now fell down her cheeks as she dreamt.  The evil that flowed through his veins painted a horrendous smile across his face as he fastened his cloak and grabbed his cane.  Just before he left, he scribbled a note to Reign and placed it on the pillow next to her.  And next to that, he conjured a red rose.  He took one last look at the elf, dismissing his lustful thoughts, and strode out of the room.

***

Reign's arm found the rose by mistake; it was searching for Lucius.  The place where he had slept was cool to the touch, which meant that he hadn't been with her for some time.  She awoke with a start, wondering if it had all been just a dream.  But then she found the flower and the note, and knew that it wasn't.

_Dearest Angel,_

_I am sorry for having to leave you so early in the morning, but I received a very urgent owl and had to report to the Ministry of Magic as soon as possible.  I promise I will make it up to you.  Until then, please accept this rose as my sincerest apology._

_Affectionately yours,_

_Lucius_

Reign smiled as she folded the note and brought the rose to her lips.  It was soft on her skin—soft as silk, and just as sly.  As she dropped it down to her lap, she reread the note.  _Urgent owl?_  How did an owl reach him in _her rooms?  She knew owls had an excellent sense of direction, but as she looked to the windows they were all closed, and the drapes were all drawn.  _No,_ she thought as she shook her head, _you're just being paranoid.  You can't doubt him anymore, remember?  Remember last night?  _She closed her eyes as the memories came flooding back.  That familiar tingling spread through her body as hot fire danced along her lips.  He was a __great kisser._

Reign threw back the covers and pranced to her wardrobe.  As she dressed, she hummed an elvish tune played at marriage ceremonies to express the love between the bride and groom.  When she went to the bathroom, however, she stopped.  She looked into the mirror and found a foolish child looking back at her.  What was she doing?  She had said that they hardly knew each other, _he _had repeated it, and yet here she was humming a song of _love_ all because she had been caught up in the heat of the moment.  She had told herself that after Severus she would never love any human _ever_ again.  

The rose still rested in her hand.  She ran a finger along its petals and down its stem.  

            "Ouch!"  Blood was flowing steadily from her finger where it had been stabbed by one of the deadly sharp thorns of the flower.  She put her finger in her mouth and let her saliva heal the wound.  The blood tasted bitter on her tongue.  She winced as it slid down her throat and burned into her stomach.  When she pulled her finger out she wiped it on a towel next to the sink.  It looked as if it had never been pricked; there was no gash or scar, but pain still throbbed beneath the skin.  Reign stared curiously at her finger and then at the rose.  Deep in her mind a voice told her it was a sign—that this rose alluded to Lucius and his facade, and the thorns represented the real him.  But her heart refused to listen to her head, and after placing the rose in a vase she left her rooms and headed down to breakfast.  

***

            "What's gotten into you?" Helena asked as Reign hopped to her seat at the staff table.  It was the first time she had entered the Great Hall in a pleasant mood and it perplexed all those who had noticed.  Even Snape's usual scowl had slipped from his face as he eyed her inquisitively on her way in.  

            "Nothing, why?"

            "You just seem...different."  Reign smiled.

            "Well, let's just say...I had a _really_ good night's sleep."  Helena gasped.

            "Did you talk to Professor Snape?"  Reign picked up on her hint and laughed.

            "Yes, we talked.  But _no, Helena.  I know what you're thinking."  The professor sat back, slightly disappointed.  She was always up for gossip.  "I didn't sleep with anybody."  She reached for the sausage and mumbled, "At least not like _that_."  A hand flew up and slapped her arm.  Helena leaned in and whispered,_

            "Reign, what are you going _on_ about?"  She just smiled and Helena shook her head.  Reign took a bite of the sausage and spat it back out on her plate.  Yes she was different, but not _that _different.  Fried pig was not her idea of an ideal breakfast.  

Severus watched her as he sipped his morning coffee.  Her new aura disappointed him.  He wanted her to be just as miserable as he was—and she had been, for a time—but now she smiled enormously as she ate her fruit.  He didn't think their last conversation would have such an odd affect on her; on the contrary, he expected the opposite.  He hadn't run after her when she walked away, hadn't even called to her, but she acted like she didn't care.  Almost as if--

He slammed his cup down on the table, startling Professor Flitwick.

_As if there was someone else, _he thought.  _Someone like...Lucius._

"Son of a _bitch_!" he shouted as he slammed his fist into the wood.  It wasn't loud enough for the students to hear over their own chatter, but several of the teachers looked up at him in astonishment.  He didn't return their surprised looks.  After throwing back his chair he stalked out of the room, slamming the door to the dungeons behind him.  

When Reign looked up Severus was gone.  She hadn't seen his outburst, but perhaps if she had she would have smiled.  Perhaps—if she couldn't win him back with affection and begging—she could make him _jealous_.

***

Helena walked swiftly through the castle and down to the dungeons.  Coming upon the Potions master's office door, she paused with her hand on the handle.  Behind the wood she could here yelling and mumbling, glass breaking and heavy objects being thrown against other heavy objects.  She hesitated—not completely sure if she was in her right mind—but decided to risk opening the door anyway.  As she did a large beaker was flung at her head and she ducked right before it hit her between the eyes; it smashed against the door instead, shattering into bits and pieces of sharp glass and sticky liquid.  She stood up and saw a monster before her eyes.

Snape's eyes were ablaze.  His hair was mangled and he was breathing like an enraged animal.  All the color had been drained from his face.  His eyebrows were drawn together as he screamed at her.

            "HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF _KNOCKING_!?"  Helena stumbled back as if a tornado had just hit her.  

            "I'm s-so sorry, Professor.  I--"

            "You _what?" he whispered menacingly.  Professor Saxon's hand went to the door handle._

            "I was just leaving."  She spun quickly around and opened the door.  The broken glass slid across the floor as the heavy wood pushed it away.

            "Wait."  Helena shuddered at his suddenly silky tone.  She turned slowly around to face her old Professor, who had unclenched his fists and smoothed back his greasy hair.  "Sit."  She didn't need any other direction, and quickly sat in the chair opposite his desk.  He lowered himself into his seat and stared at her.  She felt herself shrinking into the fabric of the chair as his eyes bore into hers.  "_Well?" he sneered.  Helena held her breath as she looked for the right words._

            "Please, sir.  I'm worried about Reign--" she was interrupted by an evil laugh.

            "HA!  I assure you, Professor Saxon, Reign is the last person on this earth that needs to be worried about."

            "I know.  I mean, I know about you and her."  Snape snorted.

            "Of course you do."

            "She told me how she's been so miserable without you…how badly she has missed you…how she'd do anything to get you back--"  The man snorted again.  Helena was getting irritated.  "Severus, if you will just let me _explain._"  Her tone silenced the Professor.  He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair.  "She even talked about ending her life.  But this morning, it was as if she had been reborn.  I asked her if she talked to you, and she said she had.  But it was almost as if--"

            "There was someone else?" he interrupted with a smirk.  Helena paused and tilted her head.

            "Well, yes."  Severus shook his head as the woman leaned in.  "Do you know who it is?"  The Potions master leaned in, mocking her curiosity.  Their noses nearly touched as he whispered,

            "Lucius Malfoy."

            "LUCIUS MALFOY?"

            "Lucius _Malfoy."_

            "Lucius _MALFOY?  What would she be doing with that evil son of a--"  Severus laughed again.  Helena stopped and pointed at him.  "She's not...trying to make you...__jealous, is she?"_

            "Who knows with her," Snape replied, looking down at his hands.  His head snapped up as Helena slammed her fists into his desk, similar in emotion to what he had done earlier.

            "You HAVE to stop her."  The man got slowly up from his chair.

            "And _why should I do that, Professor Saxon?"  Their faces were close again.  Helena could feel his breath on her skin and she shuddered again at the sound of his voice.  But she was strong, and drew back, throwing up her arms as she spoke._

            "BECAUSE!  Who KNOWS what Malfoy is planning on doing with her!"  She pointed at him again.  "You HAVE to do _something!"  Severus ignored her pleading and turned to his back to her, scanning his shelves for some non-existent ingredient._

            "Reign is no longer any of my concern, Helena."  The woman walked quickly to him and grabbed his shoulders, spinning him around to face her.

            "She is my _friend, Severus.  I know she is vulnerable, but I will be damned if I let Lucius Malfoy do something horrible to her."_

            "Why don't _you speak to her about it then?"  Helena paused as she thought._

            "No.  She would listen to you.  She still loves you; I can see it.  Besides, its obvious that--"

            "That _what?"_

            "That you still love her," came a voice from the shadows.  Both professors followed the sound to a young woman standing at the doorway of the office that led to his classroom.

            "Miss Decatur, how good to see you," Helena said pleasantly as Caelan entered the room and stood next to her.  Both women then crossed their arms and stared matter-of-factly at Severus.

            "Two to one, Professor—you're overruled.  Go talk to her," Caelan demanded.  

            "Miss Decatur, you have some nerve giving _me_ orders," Snape replied menacingly.  But Caelan didn't budge.  The women looked at each other and smiled.  Then they turned back to Severus.

            "_Well?" they said in unison.  They could see the blood boiling behind his eyes, his nails digging into his palms, his body beginning to shake.  His tight lips parted just slightly as he spoke._

            "I will NOT be told what to do by two _women_."  Now it was Helena and Caelan who started to get angry.  Decatur dropped her arms and took a step forward, ready to give him a good knock up-side the head, but Helena held out her arm and stopped her.

            "Severus, for Christ's sake will you just swallow your pride for _once in your life?  We may be talking about someone's _survival_ here!"  Snape looked from one woman to the other, his scowl diminishing and his body relaxing._

            "Very well," he whispered.  "I will think about it."

            "That's all we ask," said Caelan.

            "_You," he sneered at the girl, "get back to class."  Decatur snorted as she walked out of the office.  Severus came out from behind his desk and strode to his classroom door.  Helena followed him._

            "Severus...thank you."

            "I haven't done anything yet."  Helena looked away.

            "Yes, but...I have confidence in you.  I mean, now that I look back on it, Reign seemed so _happy_ back when we were in school, around the time you two were...together.  I think she really did love you."  Severus shook his tired head.  "And I think she still does.  She's been through a lot, and she's confused...and wounded, in a way."  The man rolled his eyes, but Helena ignored the motion.  "I think you can heal her."  Snape looked up into her eyes; Helena Saxon had always been the innocent one.  Never exceedingly bright, but very compassionate.  She would have made a good Hufflepuff.  Severus nodded to her and walked through the door.

            "I hope you can heal her," Helena whispered as she watched him go.


	22. The First Warning

NOTE: Bah, so here it is, the next chapter.  Sorry it took so long to update…for those of you who didn't know, I got my wisdom teeth taken out on Friday morning.  I do hope that didn't affect my imaginative writing style…eek!  Anyway, here it is…mainly a transition chapter, but important nonetheless.  ENJOY!  Hugs to all my reviewers!

Chapter Twenty-Two

The First Warning

Two days.  Two whole days since she had seen him last.  Since he had held her in his arms and kissed her forehead and slept next to her.  Two days since she had lost herself in his misty eyes and stroked his pale hair and melted into his strong arms.  Two whole days.  It was driving her crazy.  Why hadn't he returned?  What could be so incredibly important that he couldn't steal away a moment just for her?

Reign stretched out on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower, letting the sun's rays seep into her skin and warm her soul.  The tint of her bronze skin had darkened since her night with Lucius...since she had started to come there more often to think and ponder why he hadn't returned.  Why hadn't he returned?  The elf tapped her fingers against the brick impatiently.  She could feel the afternoon sun heating her face and the fire from the heated bricks burning her flesh through her shirt.  Her eyes closed slowly as her mind raced.  Her fingers scraped the age-old blocks of the ledge as the wind rustled her hair and clothes.  It picked her up and sat her on the edge, her legs dangling childishly beneath her.  Another bright day...was there anything but days like this at Hogwarts?  She tilted her head down to the trees below.  How incredibly bored she was.  Without Lucius, without Severus...oh _Kor_....Severus.  What would he think if he found out about them?  Did she even care?  Of course she did.  Lucius was just a replacement...wasn't he?

The breeze refreshed her senses as she sat dangling on top of the tower, trying desperately to think of something to entertain herself.  The woods beckoned to her; they sent her small sacrifices—leaves.  Leaves of all colors floating on the cool breeze on an unusually warm day in November flew gracefully toward her, some brushing her cheek, her hair, and others landing in her lap.  She picked one up and examined it closely.  The slender spine of the leaf reminded her of something she had lost long ago.  Or what seemed like very long ago—her bow.  And her arrows.  More weapons that she had gotten rid of when they became too much of a burden on her tired body.  She cursed herself silently for ever leaving her bow.  The arrows she could have cared less about; arrows were not hard to come buy, and even if they were, were not hard to make.  But her bow...

Reign raced down to her rooms.  Inside her wardrobe she retrieved her sword and dagger and strapped them on to her back and thigh.  She had finally decided what to do with the lazy day she was having—she would make another bow and more arrows for herself.  Her robes were left on the edge of the bed as she bolted out the door, her _saphie_ dancing about her shoulder as she walked swiftly through the castle and outside to the Forbidden Forest.  She could tell by the absence of students that classes were still in session for the day, and she was grateful for that fact—for she would go unnoticed into the woods.  The first step she took immediately led to the next, and soon she was bathed in darkness.  Though the day was bright the trees frowned upon the sunlight and refused its admittance into their humble abode.  It was much cooler amongst the trees, also, and Reign shook her head in disgrace for leaving her robes.  As she walked deeper into the woods her arms hugged her body tighter and closer.  The trees groaned and loomed over her as if they were spying on the intruder.  At the slightest snap of a twig or rustle of a branch, Reign would freeze.  Her eyes darted through the trees, searching for any sign of company, welcome or not.  Though the trees had been the ones to summon her into their home, she was not so sure she was entirely welcome.  They seemed to glare at her as she walked on, and she felt herself shrink away under their stare.  She was about to turn back when she nearly tripped over something in her path.  Upon looking down her eyes settled upon an old leather container of some kind.  As she picked it up an odd feeling rushed over her and dragged her eyes deep into the woods.  Her vision could have easily been tricking her, but she could have sworn she saw a dark shadow gliding far ahead of and away from her.  Chills spread through her body as she held her old quiver in her hands, with plenty of arrows still protruding from within its depths.  She eyed the case curiously; where she had lost it, she had no idea.  She reached into her mind but could not remember this sight that lay before her.  It seemed odd that she would stumble upon it here, and she had a very peculiar feeling that the shadow had laid it there for her to find.  Nevertheless she strapped it to her back, determined not to unnecessarily frighten herself.  It felt good to have that same weight distributed over her back as there once was so long ago...when she was a true elf...a proud warrior and youthful spirit.  With her newfound pride she advanced further into the depths of the forest, her arms now hanging loosely at her sides—one holding her sword, and the other longing for a bow.  Then suddenly she stopped.  Before her was a tree that seemed oddly familiar.  It was hardly conceivable that it was, for it seemed that all the trees in the forest were the same—dark, large, and ominous.  But the feeling settled in her gut.  Yes, this was the tree she had climbed so many years ago on that night of all sacred nights.  The night she had performed the _zotîkos_ ritual to renew her elvin strength and magic.  She smiled as she vividly recalled the night that Hagrid had found her there and they had become friends.  Her feet carried her across the ground and her hand rested upon the trunk of the massive tree.  Whether it was her imagination or not, she almost felt as if the wood relaxed under her touch.  She looked up to the leaves and whispered,

            "_Gïo__ goláro ïta, el terà ugïra moëye." (Great and powerful spirit of this tree, I wish to become one with you.)  The tree bent its great kindling down to get a better look at the creature addressing it.  "_Satrïo ay sôr tiãno, et el yöe gestàto aíy stríko et veriñatoe." _(Lend me one of your branches, and I will replace it with one of strength and power.)  The tree tilted its branches, staring curiously at the elf.  She waited patiently underneath its cover as it contemplated giving up one of its precious commodities.  Eventually it gave in and straightened back to its normal proud position and waited as the elf lifted her sword and leapt high into the air.  The blade struck with a surreal force, slicing one of the higher, longer branches as one would slice a tomato.  It came crashing to the ground.  The rest of its brothers quivered with uneasiness as Reign picked up the sturdy branch and placed it to the side.  Then she flew up to the stump where she had pulled the limb and laid her hands over the wound.  Her eyes closed as brilliant strings of light escaped her fingertips and entered the tree.  After lightly kissing the stump, she fell back to the ground and watched as a new bough took the place of the old one.  The great tree stretched its new limb and rustled its leaves as it settled down into the earth.  Reign thanked the tree spirit and gathered her branch.  After replacing her sword she made her way back through the woods, that same uneasy feeling slowly creeping up on her once more as she walked.  By the time she had reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, she was jogging.  When she reached the sacred grass of Hogwarts' lush green grounds she dropped the branch and crouched down, letting her breathing return to normal.  As it did a familiar noise met her ears—a song.  The soothing song of a wooden flute.  She smiled as she raised her head and gazed at the back of Hagrid as he sat on his front steps and played his instrument for all who were willing to hear.  She clutched the limb tightly under her arm and made the ascent to the hut.  When she had almost reached him, Fang barked rather loudly and viciously, startling Hagrid and ruining his concentration.  He turned to see what all the commotion was about._

            "Oh, Reign!" he cried, his face softening as he noticed the elf coming toward him.

            "Hello, Hagrid.  No classes today?" she asked as she took a seat by the giant.

            "Not right now, it's lunch."

            "Why aren't you in the Great Hall then?  Feasting with the rest of the school?" she asked suspiciously.

            "I dunno.  Guess somethin' pulled me out 'ere."  He turned toward Reign.  "Perhaps it was you."  The elf blushed beneath the large man and he let out a laugh that rang inside her head, causing her to smile.  He was still chuckling as he brought his flute back up to his lips and returned to his playing.  Reign pulled her dagger from her side and began carving her branch, reciting an ancient spell to help her work faster.  When Hagrid had finished his playing, so too did Reign finish her bow.  His eyes widened as they fell upon the great and slender weapon carved with elvin symbols and great care.  

            "Ye never cease to impress me, Reign," he laughed as he patted her on the back.  The force of the gesture nearly sent Reign flying head first into the ground.  

            "Haha.  Well, what can I say?" she said innocently.  The two friends leaned back against the steps and lapsed into silence.  Then Hagrid sighed and said,

            "So 'ave you an' Professor Snape straightened everything out yet?"  Reign gazed at the stone walls of the castle, wondering what he was doing at that very moment.

            "As much as we could, Hagrid.  I have a feeling it's a lost cause, though."

            "Really?"

            "You know Severus."

            "Yeah..." he drifted off a moment.  "Ye don' seem that upset about it--" he noticed.

            "Well, I've done all I can.  It's up to him now.  Frankly, I could care less what happens between us."  Hagrid straightened up.

            "That don' sound like you," he said with drawn eyebrows.  Reign looked into his dark eyes and smiled.

            "Well, perhaps it isn't.  I've changed, Hagrid.  I've realized that.  Whether it's a change for better or for worse, I'm not sure yet.  Only time can tell."  Hagrid still looked confused, but Reign had ignored him.  As she was talking, an elaborate carriage had just pulled up to the front gates of the castle.  Her body tensed as she watched the door creep open and a man step out into the afternoon sun.  His white hair fell gracefully over his broad shoulders.  His black attire the same as always.  His vicious cane grasped in his gloved hands as he stepped forward and the door shut behind him.  The look he gave the castle was one of disgust, but the elf was too far away to recognize it.  But she was not far enough away from Hagrid for him to not notice her change in behavior.  He looked from the now beaming elf to the evil man standing atop the hill.  He rose when she did and glared down at her, the wheels in his head turning.

            "Reign, I know that look.  Don' tell me...don' tell me you...and Lucius!" he shouted.

            "Oh Hagrid, relax."  She brushed off his outburst as if it meant nothing to her, but it meant something to the giant—it hurt.  He shook his head as Reign gathered her things and began to walk toward the man waiting for her.  He had caught sight of her standing below him and now stood frozen waiting for her.  

            "Reign...wait!"  The elf spun around as Hagrid stumbled toward her.  "Ye shouldn' git involved with him.  Not Malfoy.  He's bad news."  Reign placed a hand on his chest and grinned warmly at him.  

            "Hagrid, don't worry about me so much.  I'll be fine.  I always am."  She turned to leave.

            "Please Reign--"

            "Hagrid, I may have changed, but I am still your friend.  Don't ever doubt that."

            "Just...just be careful."  

            "I will.  I promise."  And with that she turned away, leaving Hagrid to stare hopelessly after her.

***

            "Where have you been all my life?"  Lucius asked as Reign came within arms' length.  He seized her and kissed her forehead softly; something he knew she absolutely adored.

            "What do you mean?  You're the one who's been missing for two days!"

            "I told you, I had some urgent business to take care of at the Ministry."  She stood back from him with her hands on her hips and a suspicious eyebrow raised.  Lucius smirked and came toward her, lacing one arm around her waist and using the other to lift her face to his.  How she had missed those cool lips, and how he had missed the power he had over her.  When he pulled away, he spoke softly into her cheek.  "Besides, I told you I would make it up to you, didn't I?"  Reign nodded slowly as they walked through the front gates.  The woman rested her head against Malfoy's chest as they entered the castle, and Lucius still had his arm wrapped around her as a dark and familiar shape entered into their view.  All three figures stopped in the main hall, but Reign did not pull away from the man holding on to her.

            "Severus!  Wonderful meeting you here," Lucius said with dripping sarcasm.

            "Likewise," Snape sneered, glaring at the couple that stood before him.  He had been meaning to talk to Reign for some time.  Two days, in fact, but had never gotten up enough courage to do so.  And now here she was, standing before him, in the arms of the very man he was supposed to warn her to stay away from—and it broke his heart.  He had been on his way to retrieve her, to convince her to stay away from him.  And perhaps, if his mind would let him, apologize to her.  But now, now his heart hardened again, and the last thing he really wanted to do was have a _chat_ with her.  He glared down at her as Helena's voice screamed at him within his mind.  "_Can't you just swallow your pride for once in your life?"_

Reign avoided his glare, looking instead to the new bow in her hand.  It seemed so long ago that she was once again at peace with the world—laying on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower, drifting through the woods, sitting quietly with Hagrid underneath the afternoon sun.  Unfortunately that was all gone now.  All that was left were two humans—one that she had loved, and the other who she was falling fast in love with.  Her mind and heart were tearing themselves apart.  She refused to look Severus in the eye, yet she could still feel his glare burning into her skin, setting fire to her heart.  If Lucius hadn't spoken when he did, she was sure she would have collapsed in front of them both.

            "Is there something we could do for you, Severus?"

            "No," he whispered, never taking his eyes off of Reign.  "Not you," he finally said, meeting Malfoy's gaze with a malicious glare.  He walked slowly toward the elf and raised her head with one pale finger.  "But you...when you are not..._preoccupied_, I wish to speak with you."  He turned once again to Lucius.  "In _private, if it's not too much trouble."  Lucius rolled his eyes._

            "Of course," Reign whispered, finally looking into Snape's eyes.  Both men looked shocked at the sound of her voice.  "Perhaps after dinner would suffice?"  Severus looked from the elf to Lucius, who was now holding a dangerous glint in his eye.  The Potions master nodded and glided away, the familiar billowing of his robes sending shivers down Reign's spine.  Lucius noticed her shaking body and pulled her closer.  

            "Why do you still bother with him?  _I'm_ here now," he said, lightly grazing his lips over her cheek.  

            "I know, Lucius, I know.  But things need to be settled between us once and for all."  The man holding her sighed deeply and dragged her away from the spot in the hall.

Just moments later, more cursing and smashing could be heard deep within the depths of the castle, as the Potions master took out his frustration in the normal fashion.


	23. The Truth About Lucius Malfoy

Two chapters up in two days…go me!  Hope you like it ;)

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Truth About Lucius Malfoy

And yet another familiar sight was seen at the greatest school of magic that ever existed; a couple entwined in one another's arms, a woman laying her weary head on his proud chest, his chin resting gently on her pale hair, his back resting against a window.  It was always a window with Reign.  It provided an escape while still maintaining a sense of safety.  The sun was slowly setting, producing colors of unimaginable beauty.  Reign sighed as the sun sank beneath the surface of the earth.  Lucius opened his eyes and pulled one of her braids into his fingers, playing gently with it while rubbing his chin affectionately over her hair.  Reign smiled and dug her body deeper into his.  Her arms held him like she would never let go.  She lifted her head and kissed his cheek.  Afterwards they both sighed and melted into each other.  In the distant world outside her rooms Reign could hear the faint patter of footsteps from the many students descending to the Great Hall for dinner.  She grasped the man even tighter as she groaned.

            "I do not wish for dinner to come, nor for what shall come afterwards."  Lucius pushed her away and gazed into her possessed eyes.  Her weapons were still strapped to her body, and as he spoke he helped to pull them off.

            "You knew this meeting was inevitable." he whispered.  "Whatever the outcome, remember that I will always be here."  He kissed the skin above her brow as she let her sword fall to the carpet below them.  When she brought her head back up she noticed Lucius eyeing her quiver, which he now held in his hands.  "This is new."  She took it from his hands and ran her fingers through the feathers at the ends of the arrows.

            "Actually, it is quite old.  I found it in the woods this afternoon before you came."  She paused, the odd feelings she had experienced in the Forbidden Forest once again creeping up on her.  "It seemed as though it was left for me, for I cannot remember leaving it where I found it."  Lucius rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

            "Do you think it's cursed?"  Reign laughed.

            "Of course not.  Only another elf is capable of such a thing.  And there are no elves for miles around here."  The man smiled against the window as her comment reassured him.  "I don't want to talk to him, Lucius."  Her arms wrapped themselves around his body again.  "It will be just like before.  I am tired of his sinister remarks and malicious glares."

            "Tonight you will see the last of them, I promise."  Reign lifted her head and smiled as she kissed the cool lips of Lucius Malfoy.  Together they rose from the window and glided across the room.  Before exiting, however, he stopped her.  "Remember, Reign, that I am here, and know that whatever Severus says about me is entirely untrue."  The eyes of the elf widened.

            "What?"

            "Nothing," he stammered, "just know that it is unwise to trust everything you hear."  Reign slowly nodded, still quite perplexed by his sudden anxiety.  However, they both relaxed when Lucius took her hand in his and they walked through the castle to dinner.  

The last of the sky's magnificent colors faded to a dark navy as they entered the hall and gazed at the ceiling.  With their hands still clasped together, Reign and Lucius proceeded carefully down the side of the room so as not to attract too much attention to themselves.  Severus noticed their entry and frowned.  He shook his head and cursed himself.  Himself, Lucius, and even Reign.  _What had gotten into her?  What had he done to her?_

Reign took her usual seat next to Helena, who frowned at the sight of Malfoy, who sat on the other side of the elf.  Lucius smiled a most handsome grin, but Professor Saxon just shook her head and leaned back, avoiding having to look at him.  

Reign ate slowly and cautiously, for there were many emotions invading her senses that evening.  From below, she could sense the joy and laughter of the students, but also the worried glances from students like Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  And from the teachers came the scowls.  She could even sense Dumbledore's uneasiness at Malfoy's presence.  And then there was Malfoy junior—Draco.  A very suspicious and awkward feeling rushed over her as she caught a glimpse of his nervous figure residing at the Slytherin table.  So too, did his father notice his anxiety.  Draco looked shamefully away as his father glared down at him, daring him to defy him.  It hurt the young man immensely to watch his father play his sick little games—to act as the Dark Lord's puppet.

And then there was Severus...his aura struck her and released the most painful and agonizing sensation of all.  His disappointment in her was the worst possible feeling she had ever endured, and it razed her appetite.  Lucius noticed her anguish and squeezed her hand gently as it rested beside her fork.  And then more feelings came over her.  Warmth she thought she would never feel again, and yet darkness she hoped she would never again be forced to experience.  It flowed through her veins and boiled her blood, making her want to scream out and demand an explanation.  Why light and dark from the same smooth hand?  Why cold and warm at the same time?  What _was_ it with him?

And then he released, and she relaxed.  Though her plate was still mostly filled when dinner was over, she had managed to consume enough to get her through the next leg of her night.  When they left the hall Lucius veered toward the main gates.  Reign caught hold of his cloak and they stumbled toward the doors.  

            "Where are you going?"

            "I don't live here, remember?"

            "But you said you would be there for me."  They were outside now, out in the inky blackness of the night that washed over them like the plague.  

            "And so I shall."  He kissed her deeply.  "I will return in a day or so."  She looked up at him, pleading and begging with her eyes for him to stay.  "No more than two days I shall be gone.  I promise." 

            "You make a lot of promises, Lucius Malfoy."

            "Have I ever broken one I have made?" he asked defensively.

            "Not yet."  He laughed.

            "And I don't intend to."  His carriage had arrived on the drive and Reign was forced to release him from her grasp.  She followed him as he stepped into the dark vehicle and smiled at her.

            "I look forward to our next encounter," he said to her as he stroked her cheek.  Before she could reply the door had shut and the carriage lurched forward, leaving her alone on the drive in front of Hogwarts.

***

The descent down into the dungeons was one of the longest Reign had ever had to endure.  The darkness swallowed and choked her as she stumbled along the ancient stones.  Grateful as she was to finally find Snape's office door, she wished desperately for the night to be over.  She pressed her ear against the heavy wood, listening for any sign of movement.  The faint scratching of a quill on parchment could be heard, as well as the gurgle of liquids residing in the many beakers scattered amongst the Potions Master's shelves.  She listened for more—for any sign of his anger toward her—but there was nothing.  So she knocked.  And a very cold voice jolted her.

            "It's open."  Of course it was.  He was expecting her.  Reign tucked her hair behind her ears and fluffed her robes.  After taking a deep breath she pushed open the door and entered into the lair of Severus Snape.

He did not look up upon her entrance.  His quill still rushed feverishly over the parchment to which it was bound, slashing through his students' homework as if nothing else mattered to him.  

But what he was really trying to do was control himself.  Perhaps if he refrained from looking at her he could avoid a very ugly confrontation—or a very pitiful breakdown.  But it was unavoidable.  As soon as she glided in she took a seat across from him and folded her hands in her lap.  Severus could feel the familiar power seep into his skin and warm his soul.  He tried to banish it, to push it so far away out of his mind that it would not affect him, but she was too strong.  Too confident.  _Damn her_.

            "You wished to speak with me, Severus?"  Of course he did.  What an obviously absurd remark.  He set his quill down and leaned back in his chair.  He hadn't been this close to her since their uneasy encounter almost a week before.  And already he had forgotten how innocent and beautiful she really was.  Her hair was longer than before, now falling elegantly to mid-shoulder length.  Her eyes still held the same amount of life in them as he remembered.  And her tattoos—the thin marks below her eye that represented the comet to which she was born under—how long ago had that been since he had asked her about them?  How long had it been since it had been _him_ that kissed her and held her?

Reign shifted in her seat as the man across from her inspected her.  She hadn't seen that glint in his eye since that fateful night they had first kissed.  He had been so different back then—younger, more charming, less sadistic—but now, now he had changed.  _Because of her_.  She had created the man that now sat before her, and she cursed herself for it.

            "Lucius Malfoy is a dangerous man, Reign."

            "So I have heard."

            "And yet that causes no reason for alarm?"        

            "None that I have yet seen the need for," she sneered.  Severus picked up his quill again.  _This is going to be harder than I thought_.  Reign crossed her arms and waited for him to speak.  Before he did he sighed and pulled up his sleeve, revealing the dreaded Dark Mark on his lower arm.  Reign's heartbeat quickened at the sight of it.

            "Remember this?"

            "How could I forget?"  He hid the mark from her view and folded his pale fingers on top of the desk.

            "Lucius has one just like it."

            "What is that supposed to mean?"  Severus rolled his eyes and got up from his chair, resorting to sorting his beakers in some unfathomable fashion.

            "You know perfectly well what I mean, Reign.  Lucius is a Death Eater."  He turned as he heard the swish of her robes behind him.  

            "What do you mean, he's a Death Eater?"

            "I mean he's a _Death Eater_.  He is practically the Dark Lord's right-hand man, and is probably working right now to retrieve you."

            "That's ridiculous," Reign said with a nervous tint in her voice, which caused Snape's upper lip to curl.  "Lucius isn't like that...he couldn't be--"

            "Oh I assure you, Reign, he very well _is_."

            "He told me not to trust you," she said, pointing a finger at him.

            "And why would he say something like that?" Severus snapped as he raised his eyebrow at her.  Reign lowered her finger as she thought about it.  What reason _did_ he have to warn her not to trust him?  What could Severus possibly say that would sway her mind?  "Reign, I have known Lucius far longer than you have, and you know that I am a man of my word.  I have no reason to lie to you."

            "You are just jealous," she whispered.

            "_What?"_

            "You heard me.  I'm tired of this, Severus.  If you won't take me back, the least you can do is let me live my life in peace.  The least you can do is let me go on _living_."  The man threw up his arms in disgust.

            "I can't believe I'm hearing this," he muttered.

            "Severus, I am sick of these games.  It ends here, now."

            "Fine," he said, spinning on her, "but did you ever stop to think about why he let you fall so willingly into his arms..._when he has a son_?"

            "What does Draco have to do with any of this?"  Severus laughed.

            "Surely you don't think Lucius is capable of reproducing by _himself_."

            "Come off it, Severus.  What are you getting at?"

            "He's married, Reign.  And the only reason he even acts like he cares for you is because he's trying to lead you into the hands of the Dark Lord himself."

            "Married?  But--"

            "I'm surprised you hadn't caught onto that sooner," he said sarcastically.  "Tisk tisk.  What would Narcissa think about all this?"  

            "Narcissa?"

            "His wife, of course."  Reign sank back into the chair with one hand over her mouth.  How could she have been so naïve?  Of course he had a son, what made her think that that son didn't have a mother?  As she fell into the seat, the neck of her robes fell down to her shoulder, revealing her _saphie_.  Severus leaned forward in his chair and unfolded his hands.  "Where did you get that?" he asked after noticing the Black Diamond.  Reign followed his gaze and quickly covered up the jewel.

            "It's nothing."  Severus slammed his fists into his desk and laughed.

            "Nothing.  Ha.  You would think that, wouldn't you?"  He got up from his seat and strode over to her.  Using one hand, he lowered her robes again as he sat on his desk in front of her, and Reign did not stop him.  "Honestly, Reign, I didn't think you could ever be this blinded by false love."

            "Stop it, Severus," she said, springing from her chair.  "No more...no more."  She was almost to the door, almost to safety, when that cold voice found her ears once more.

            "He's spying on you, Reign.  That Black Diamond of yours is a tracing device.  He knows where you are at all times."  He paused until she was facing him again.  "And if he knows, you can be sure the Dark Lord knows, also."  Reign's eyes darted around the room as she thought.  What had she gotten herself into now?

            "Why are you telling me this?" she whispered.  Severus got up from the desk and walked slowly toward her.

            "Because," he paused, "someone is concerned about you."

            "You?" she asked hopefully.

            "Perhaps," he said gently.  He laced his fingers through her hair, soaking in that silky feeling he once got whenever they were close.  Reign closed her green eyes and sighed.

            "Severus--"

            "Yes?" 

            "I...I'm so--"

            "Sorry.  I know."  He dropped his hand.  "Me too."  Reign went to embrace him, but he backed away.  "You'd better sort things out with Lucius.  Like he said, you cannot trust me."  He turned his back to her and stalked back to his desk.  Reign followed him with sad eyes.

            "Severus...you know...you know how vulnerable I can be, right?  You know how easy it is for me to fall into a trap...to run from things I do not wish to confront..."

            "I know all too well."

            "Then...will you grant me a second chance?"  Severus froze.  A second chance?  Did those words even exist in his vocabulary next to each other?  He looked at the pitiful elf that stood before him and frowned.

            "Not yet--"

            "Please--"

            "Talk to Lucius.  Get rid of him."

            "And then?"  He was seated now, sorting his papers and placing his quill back in his long fingers.

            "And then we shall talk."  Reign smiled affectionately at him, but he did not return it.  

He was not quite sure exactly what he had just done, but he was definitely nervous about it.  


	24. A Moment of Renewed Strength

Sheesh this took me forever to write.  But this is where it all gets good.  (As if it wasn't good already, right? ;)  Hope you like it…let me know!

Chapter Twenty-Four

A Moment of Renewed Strength

            _Oh poor, helpless, pitiful little elf, what have you done now?_

The voice inside her head tore at her insides and made her cringe as she stood at the base of the ledge.  It mocked her pain, her humility.  It laughed at her, and then it chastised her.

            _You knew something like this was coming.  You had to know.  You didn't really think you could get away with it, did you?  You knew you would eventually have to pay.  Now look at you._

Her hands flew to her hair and she tried with all her might to rip every last strand from her head.  Fortunately she was unsuccessful.  She wrapped her arms around herself and her hands found her _saphie_ beneath her robes.  Ripping off the layers, Reign then tore the cursed jewel from its position on her band.  With inhuman strength she tried to crush it in her grasp, but it would not fold beneath her power.  She opened her palm and the Black Diamond winked at her.  And then it laughed.  It was a horrible, ear-piecing shriek that surged through her body and sent her into violent convulsions.  The anger and frustration, the pain and suffering, the helplessness and humility that had been building up inside of her finally burst as she grasped the ledge with one hand and drew the other behind her shoulder.  She would throw the jewel so far away that it would never haunt her again.  And then she would seek her revenge.

            _But casting off your troubles will not destroy them, little elf._

Just before she released the gem into the night, the voice flooded her thoughts once again.  She drew her hand close to her side and opened her palm.  The string hanging from the jewel tickled her wrist.

            _After all, it is such a pretty stone...the least you could do is return it to him._

Reign looked up to the moon.  It seemed to smile at her; but it was filled with a reserved disappointment.  The light pouring over her was like that of a prison spotlight; the cleansing feeling she normally received from it no longer existed.  It made Reign want to cry but the tears did not come.  Her body sank as she looked once more to the small item in her hand.  The voice was sly now, coaxing her.

            _He would want to have it.  You should give it to him._

Her fingers closed over the Black Diamond as her muscles tensed.  A gust of wind blew over the top of the Astronomy Tower just as she looked to the moon.  Her eyes glowed with a hellfire.

She was already damned, so what was one final encounter with Lucius?

***

The elf left Malfoy's gift at the back of a statue of a griffin in one of the most secluded parts of the castle.  The corridor had been abandoned years ago, and what was left was a filthy layer of dust and grime that covered every inch of the space.  No one had been there in years—if Lucius found her there it would definitely confirm Snape's suspicions.

He had sent her an owl earlier that afternoon, promising to see her again that night.  Now Reign sat crouched at the end of the hall, deep within the shadows, waiting patiently for him to emerge.  

Ten minutes, thirty, an hour went by and still no sign of him.  Reign's heart lifted a bit, thinking that perhaps Severus was lying through his teeth after all.  She stood up and stretched.  As she did the moonlight streaming through the windows disappeared, and a dark figure materialized from around the corner at the end of the hall.  

Lucius looked to his parchment.  The dot indicated she was right in the hall he now stood in.  He looked around and shook his head in disgust.  A grunt escaped his lips as he crumpled the paper and walked unknowingly toward the elf.  As he did he smoothed the paper back out and followed its directions toward the statue.  Staring curiously at it, he reached around, grasping for the location device.  Unmentionable curses escaped his lips as he pulled the jewel out and gripped it tightly in his gloved hand.  It was then that Reign showed herself.

She refrained from speaking, from showing even the slightest trace of emotion on her face as she stalked slowly toward Lucius.  He spun to face her and quickly painted a face of surprise upon him.

            "It seems you lost this, my dear," he said innocently to her, holding out his hand.  Reign folded his fingers back.

            "You keep it."  The ice in her tone raised the hairs on the back of his neck, but still he kept his innocent persona.

            "But it was a gift.  Like the saying goes," he whispered, stepping toward her and raising the jewel to her eyes, "a beauty should wear a beauty."  Reign's eyes strayed from Malfoy's to the object dangling from his fingers.  It was still laughing at her, daring her to confront him.  She looked back into the pools of gray, a deadpan expression still lingering on her features.

            "Perhaps it would be better suited for your wife."  Lucius froze.  _Damn it.  Reign smirked.  His look revealed everything.  She was too angry to be hurt.  Lucius looked away and placed the gem in a hidden pocket on the inside of his cloak._

            "How do you know about that?"

            "Severus told me."  The man laughed.

            "Good old Severus.  Always willing to ruin a perfectly beautiful thing."  Reign scowled.

            "I wouldn't call what we had 'beautiful'."

            "Well, it could have been," he said, moving toward her.  The woman stepped instantly away.  "Reign, come now.  You can't blame a man for trying to ease his loneliness.  After all, I'm only human."  He smiled at her.  "Besides, how could I resist when you so obviously wanted someone?"  He had come to her now and pinned her against the wall.  Reign wanted to run from there but her legs refused her mind's command.  She searched hard for a response.

            "Loneliness?  Ha.  You have plenty to keep you company."  She reached down and ripped forcefully at his lower arm.  The cloth split and Malfoy's eyes bulged as his Dark Mark was revealed.  "With company like that of Voldemort, I would think that an elf like me wouldn't be necessary to cure loneliness."  She pushed him away from her and he stumbled back, fumbling with the remains of his sleeve.  It had taken an unrealistic amount of strength to rip through the thick fabric of his cloak, and he was furious that she had ruined it.  

As Reign walked away from him she heard the familiar shrill laughter.

            "What do you think is going to happen to you now, Reign?  The Dark Lord knows you are here.  It will only be a matter of time before he summons you.  And when he does, you _will come to him."  She stopped and turned.  "Because you have no where else to go."  The smile of a demon spread over his lips as Reign came down upon him.  Before she had a chance to do whatever it was she was about to do to him he spoke again.  They were but inches from each other.  "Not even Severus will take you back now."  _

Reign's arm flew up to his face, but his hand caught it before contact.  A cry of pain was released as Lucius twisted her arm and grabbed her around the waist.  He shoved her against the wall with tremendous force.  As she cowered beneath him, he traced her cheek and neckline with his cane.  "Ah, I can see how much it pains you to think of him.  You miss him, don't you elf?"  Reign's mouth was still open in a silent scream because of Malfoy's grip on her arm.  He shoved her against the brick.  "DON'T YOU?"  A tear slipped from her eyes as she nodded.  Lucius snickered and licked the tear from her cheek.  "Yes, yes.  You do miss him," he whispered.  "You miss the way he held you."  The elf gasped as his grip tightened.  

"The way he touched you."  He rubbed his face against her cheek, his lips lightly grazing hers.  

"The way he kissed you."  

The kiss was slow and gentle at first.  The tears were now steadily streaming down her cheeks and falling onto Malfoy's.  She was so overcome that she fell into the kiss, letting Lucius explore deeper and deeper within her mouth.  She wished desperately that she hadn't chosen such an indiscrete location.  Her voice was lost; she could not scream.  

So instead she bit.  

Her teeth drew blood from the man's lips as he yelped and stumbled away.  They both gasped for breath.  Lucius laughed as he wiped the blood and shook his head at Reign.  She stared defiantly at him as she awaited his next move.  Droplets of his blood still lingered on her lips as he pulled his wand from his cane.  

            "You elves and your power trips," he muttered.  "Do you really think you can stop the inevitable?"  He raised the wand but was too slow; Reign had already drawn her sword.  He could feel the prick of the tip of the blade as she pressed it into his neck.  The elf took his wand from his frozen hand, never taking her eyes off of him.

            "It is possible to unravel Fate's web," she whispered.  "It may not be easy, but it is possible."  She looked to the wand in her hand.  "It is sad to think that you humans rest all your powers on a ridiculous stick of wood."  As soon as she said the words, flames erupted from her fingers and the wand disintegrated.  She looked back to Malfoy with a satisfied grin.

            "You have no idea who you are dealing with," he hissed at her.

            "Who?  You?" she laughed maliciously.  "Surely you can't think _I would ever be afraid of _you_."  Reign looked deep into his eyes.  He was trapped now.  He had no place to go, no plan of escape.  _

"How could you, Lucius?  What's in it for you?"  The man was so startled by her sudden change in tone that he remained silent.  "What did he promise you that makes you do the things you do?  Manipulate, cripple, kill others."  She pressed her blade harder against his neck, enjoying the strained face he made.  "How can you live your life like this?  Don't you know that the only reason we are here is to _help_ others?  We elves believe in doing good for others, in leaving our world in a better state than when we entered it.  Do humans not?"  He didn't answer.  Reign sighed thoughtfully.  "So now what do I do with you?  If I kill you, I would be doing the world a favor, but I would also be going against everything I believe in.  If I let you go and stay true to my beliefs, I may be indirectly killing others, and that would be the exact opposite effect I was going for in the first place."  She rubbed her chin as she thought.  

"Tell me, Lucius, _would anyone miss you if I were to kill you?  Yes?  No?  Well, how about this—tell me what you have to live for, and perhaps I will let you go."  The power she now had over him excited her, and she tilted her head mockingly at him as his face softened.  His eyes darted about her face and the smile she carried soon faded.  She leaned back, the pain now seeping into her veins.  "You don't have anything to live for, do you?"  Ashamed and finally defeated, the man lowered his head.  Reign dropped her sword to her side and stared vacantly at the brick next to Lucius.  "There is nothing for you.  You have wasted your life bringing pain and suffering upon others in order to block your own pain and suffering from consuming you.  There is nothing for you," she repeated.  "And there is nothing for me."  _

At that the man looked up from the ground, his left eyebrow slightly raised.  Reign was still staring, her blade dangling loosely from her fingers.  He went to grab it, but she wasn't completely oblivious.  She brought the blade down on him and sliced the flesh of his cheek.  Blood seeped from the wound as he fell back against the wall.  "That was a warning," she said, the sword once again pressed against his neck.  "You tell your master that he can come for me himself if he wishes to have me.  Tell him I'll be ready for him.  As for you-" her mouth hung open as the moonlight streamed into the window, silencing her—stopping her from releasing the curse she was about to put on him.  She lowered her weapon and pointed at the man.  "Stay away from me."

And as the beaten man watched the retreating elf, the moonlight followed her, shining its brightest in the midst of the darkness that once consumed her.  


	25. The Storm Begins

Chapter Twenty-Five

The Storm Begins

            "Ah, Severus!  I was hoping I'd find you here."  The Potions Master stopped in his tracks.  Who would be looking for him in the middle of the front hall?  It wasn't as if he spent a lot of time there.  He only passed through the foyer on his way to other places, as did the rest of the occupants of Hogwarts.  

He rolled his eyes and shook his head at the ridiculousness of the Headmaster's comment.  But he was glad that the old wizard hadn't run into him any later, for he would have surely figured out that Severus was headed toward Reign's chambers.  So he folded his hands and turned to face Albus.  

            The Headmaster glowed in the moonlight.  His eyes twinkled like the stars that reflected in the half-moon spectacle he wore at the tip of his nose.  A smile played across his lips as he surveyed the Potions Master.

            "Good evening, Albus."

            "Indeed it is, Severus," he replied, initiating a refined stride down the hall.  Snape fell into step beside him.  "How are your classes coming along?"  The taller man chuckled.

            "Oh, fine," he said sarcastically.  "As well as they can come along with the types of students occupying them."  Dumbledore smiled.  They walked along for a few more paces.  Snape's boots pounded against the stone floor: the Headmaster's, clicked softly.

Then they stopped.  The old wizard glided over to the nearest window and leaned against the sill.  Severus followed his lead and crossed his arms over his chest.  Before he had a chance to position himself against the frame of the window, however, Albus found his voice.

            "Have you spoken to Reign recently?"  Severus uncrossed his arms and drew his eyebrows together.

            "How _recently_ is recently?"

            "Oh…" the old wizard stroked his bearded chin thoughtfully, "in the past few days, perhaps?"  Snape's mind drifted to their last encounter.

            "Yes.  I did speak to her a few days ago."  They lapsed into silence before Albus laughed.

            "Well come on, boy!  Don't make me do all the work!"  Severus looked slightly confused and annoyed.  "What did you talk about?  Have you made amends yet?"  The dark man rolled his eyes—a motion Albus didn't notice in the darkness.

            "Forgive me if I seem rude, Professor, but I'd rather not discuss it yet."  The Headmaster straightened up and sighed.

            "I understand.  Forgive an old man and his exuberant curiosity?"  Severus nodded, but he knew that Albus already had the information he had set out to find.  

From Snape's reaction, it was obvious that they were still not on the best of terms.  Dumbledore patted Severus on the shoulder before leaving.  "She's a good girl, Severus.  She's been through a lot."  The man looked to the floor.  "She could use a man like you right now."  He brought his head back up and gazed into the shining eyes of blue.  Was that a compliment he had just received from the greatest wizard of his time?

            "Thank you, Albus," he said with the utmost respect and sincerity.  The Headmaster winked and disappeared down the hall.  

Severus went to the window and gazed through the stained glass.  The moon was hidden beneath dark clouds.  As he watched the gathering billows, Severus recalled the strange fact that there hadn't been a storm at Hogwarts in a long while.  Ever since...

***

Reign walked slowly toward her chambers.  Her mind was numb; it was lucky her feet knew the way.  She had dropped her sword sometime ago and hadn't bothered to pick it up.  She didn't care if she ever saw it again.  

She didn't care if she didn't see anything ever again.  She had nothing to live for.  That's what she had realized after telling Malfoy the same thing.  And then she had almost killed him!  She certainly was _not_ in her right mind.  

            Her eyes were glazed over as she entered her rooms.  She went to the window and pressed her head to the cool glass.  Her body eased its way against the pane, shaking as her mind started to race.  Reign closed her eyes.  What if Malfoy was right?  What if Severus wasn't going to take her back?  A terrifying thought struck her—if he did, would she even _want_ to go back to him?  

            The elf rotated her body to gaze around her room.  She blinked very slowly.  Everything became a blur as she stumbled to her bed.  She fell onto the sheets on hands and knees and crawled to the headboard, now resting her head against the hard wood.  As she laid her heavy body over the bed an unusual sound slithered its way into her ears.  She snapped her head back and nearly fell backwards from the blood rush.  

The world spun as she gazed into the glossy eye of the snake on her headboard.  The sound manifested again.  It was hissing.  Reign tried to focus her eyes.  In the darkness she hoped that they were playing tricks on her.  She hoped that she was just hearing the noises of the night.  Surely the inanimate snake engraved on her bed wasn't _hissing_ at her.  

            And then she saw them.  Reflected in the black eye of the serpent were long sticks with piercing objects at the end of them.  The ends glittered in the sliver of moonlight that shone through her window.  She turned from the snake to her arrows lying in her quiver.  They stuck slightly out from the seat of one of the chairs by the fireplace.  

An invisible string pulled Reign from her bed and over to the arrows.  She pulled one from its container and ran her fingers along the shaft.  

Each elvin arrow was meticulously engraved with elfish symbols and carefully handcrafted for the greatest potency.  Every feather at the end was elegantly shaped for the best aerodynamic flying.  Her fingers played with the deep red feather and then traced the same path to the other end of the weapon.  The actual arrowhead was made from the finest granite and was ground sharper than most fine daggers.  

            Her mind was still hazy as she ran a finger along the point.  She didn't flinch when the sharp edges sliced her skin.  No pain was felt as the blood trickled down her hand.  In fact, the feeling was almost that of relief.  

            Reign cradled the arrow and went to the window.  She sat with her legs crossed and her back against the cool glass.  Her chest rose high and deep with every breath she took.  She blinked.  The arrow smiled at her and floated in front of her.  The point flashed in the receding moonlight.  

Reign held out her right hand and watched as the moonlight fell upon her wrist.  It shone in the same crescent shape as her tribal tattoo.  It was beautiful, so…pure.  Reign wanted it to stay there forever.  

She grabbed the tip of the arrow and began to etch the shape of the crescent into her wrist.  She dug deeper and deeper, letting the blood flow out of her body and spill onto her clothes and the floor.  The pain she had been holding for so long was finally being released.  Why hadn't she done this before?  The feeling was amazing; instant ecstasy washed over her and calmed her body and soul.  Her mind cleared and her lids lay heavily over her eyes.  A lazy smile graced her lips as she went to the other wrist and began to carve the same moon shape.

***

As Severus gazed out into the night he heard footsteps coming down the hall.  He turned slowly to see Lucius Malfoy speed passed him; he obviously had not seen the Potions Master standing in the shadows of the corridor.  Snape thought that he was walking unusually fast.

            "Lucius," he said sternly, stepping into the middle of the hall and crossing his arms.  The man stopped dead in his tracks.  Severus raised an eyebrow as Malfoy turned slowly around to face him.  Dropping his arms, Snape stared in disbelief at the gash on his cheek.  Then he laughed.

            "Good God, man, what happened to your face?"  The slice had turned a deep red…and so had Malfoy's pale skin.  He strode slowly toward Snape and stopped only inches from the hooked nose of the Potions Master.

            "Let's just say that if I had my wand with me…you would be dead."  Severus pulled his eyebrows together and tilted his head.  Lucius stepped back.  "The Dark Lord will hear of this, Severus.  You will pay for your betrayal!"  He spun back around and stalked down the hall.  Snape took one step forward, his eyes bulging in their sockets.  What was he talking about?  Severus squinted into the darkness as his mind searched.  And then he remembered.

            _"Talk to Lucius.  Get rid of him."_  That's what he had said to Reign.  His breathing quickened as he turned and ran up to her chambers.  

He had a gut-wrenching feeling as he ran.  And as he reached her door his heart sank.  It was wide open.  Through the window he could see that it had started to rain.  

He walked cautiously into the room, his eyes darting back and forth.  He had the most awful feeling.  

And then he heard a voice.  It was mumbling something he couldn't quite understand.  He followed the sound to the corner of the room where Reign had dragged herself after her release.  

And then he noticed the blood.  He followed the trail from her to the window where she had been sitting and then back to her wrists.  As soon as his legs would let him he raced over to her and knelt.  He winced at the sight of her wounds.  Through all the blood he could see deep gashes shaped like crescent moons carved into her delicate wrists.  She had lost scores of blood, but she was still alive.  She was still mumbling.

            "_Saë tu ri los mía."  _

            "What?  Jesus Reign, what have you done?"

            "_Saë tu ri los mía."  She kept repeating that same phrase, over and over again as Severus tore at his sleeves and wrapped her wrists tightly.  He tried using a healing spell with his wand, but the elvin blood would not take to it.   Her voice was getting quieter and quieter as he worked.   _

            "Damn it, Reign!"  He cursed as he shook her.  The wounds were still bleeding as he picked her up, the wraps now soaked in her blood.  "You're not getting away that easily."

            "_Saë tu...__ ri los..._ mía_," she whispered.  Severus ran hard through the castle toward the infirmary.  His heart pounded furiously against his chest and his lungs screamed out for him to stop and catch his breath.  _

But he wouldn't stop.  Not for anything.  

Drops of blood followed him to the Hospital Wing, and angry tears trickled from his eyes as he smashed open the door.

            "POPPY!"  The pain in his voice strengthened it as he yelled out for the nurse.  

It traveled through the halls of the castle.  Through every room, down every staircase, and finally through the cracks in the windows and doors.  It escaped into the night and startled the animals of the forest.

And for the first time since Reign had returned, lightning slashed through the clouds and a violent storm rumbled through the night.

***

Thanks once again to all my reviewers…you guys are the best.  I hope you enjoyed this one!  And I really appreciate everyone's concern about my teeth.  They are doing much MUCH better now J


	26. Another Chance

Chapter Twenty-Six

Another Chance

            _"Räénh."_  The young elf opened her eyes slightly as a brilliant white light stung her pupils.  She squinted into the light at a figure standing over her.  Lying on her back, she turned her heavy head from side to side and found nothing but the same pure white surroundings.  As she lifted her head the pain she had been expecting did not come.  She raised her torso and smiled when she felt nothing.  

            _"Räénh,"_ the figure said again.  It held out a hand to her and she gladly took it.  When she was standing in front of the man she strain to see once more, trying to recognize him.

            "Albus?" she said, noticing the white hair and jaunty disposition.  The man smiled and shook his head.  Reign took a tentative step forward and gasped when she registered who the man was.  

            _"Paero!"_ she shouted, falling into the arms of her deceased father.  The man held his daughter close and stroked her hair.  His touch melted Reign and she cried into his shoulder.  

            "_Tu ita stèlaã_," he said as he pushed her away and gazed into her eyes.  Reign nodded.

            "Yes, your little star.  Always and forever, _Paero_."  She embraced him again, and the white light surrounding them shone even brighter as father and daughter were reunited.  

"But...how is this possible?  How can you be here?"  Reign asked as she lifted her chin.  She met the grieved and heartbroken eyes of her father and frowned.  His hand found hers and as soon as it did their white environment faded into the sterile colors of the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts.

Reign's eyes bulged when she saw herself lying in one of the beds.  Severus was sitting by her side, holding her hand.  It was wrapped in gauze and stained with her blood.  Albus stood behind Snape and rested his hand on his shoulder.  On the opposite side Poppy was wiping her hands and shaking her head.  Reign could see Severus squeeze her hand even tighter.  The warmth he passed to her body could be felt even in her own soul-like fingers.

            "What is this?  What has happened to me?"  She asked as she walked to the end of the bed.  Her father came up to her side, picked up her wrist, and held it in front of her face.  Reign noticed the ugly scars.  "No...I couldn't have..." she looked pleadingly at her father.  "Does that mean...?"  He laughed and shook his head.  Then he motioned for Reign to take notice of the others in the room with them.

            "She lost a lot of blood, Albus," Poppy was saying.

            "I know."

            "Is she going to be OK?" asked Severus impatiently.  The nurse sighed.

            "She should be fine.  But she needs her rest!"  Madam Pomfrey glared at the two professors, then promptly turned on her heels and strode away from the bed.  When she was out of sight Severus let out the breath he had been holding.  From above him, the Headmaster smiled.

            "If I'm going to be fine, then why-" she didn't finish.  Her father put a finger to his lips to quiet her and pointed to the men at her side.

            "It's a good thing you found her, Severus."

            "Yes," he whispered.  His eyes traced the lines of her face and he shook his head.  She was causing him all sorts of stress.  Then he remembered something.  "Professor, how fluent are you in Elvish?"  The old wizard laughed.

            "Well, that depends..."

            "Reign was mumbling something when I found her," he drew his eyebrows together as he fought to find the words she had said.  "Say...too...ree los...mia?"  He looked up to the Headmaster.  "Does that make any sense?"  The old man gazed at the elf with sad eyes.

            "Save me...from myself."  

Snape's jaw fell into his lap.  His body sank as he turned back to the elf.  

            "Good God, Reign," he sighed, leaning forward and pushing a stray strand of hair out of her face.  "Why didn't you tell me you were so depressed?"

            "You wouldn't let me!" Reign shouted from the end of the bed.  She froze as a sharp pinch invaded her soft arm.

            "Perhaps you didn't let her," Albus repeated.  He turned around and left before Severus could retaliate.  Reign watched as he rested his head on his hand and watched her body sleep.

            "Are you _still_ here?"  He snapped his head up as the nurse strode back into view.  The look on his face did not sway her from chastising him.  "I don't want to be rude, Professor, but Reign needs to relax _in peace_."

            "I am by no means disturbing her rest, Poppy.  She sleeps calmly even while I am watching her."  The nurse crossed her arms and scowled.  "I'm staying," he said sternly.  Madam Pomfrey threw up her arms in disgust. 

            "Fine!  Don't listen to the nurse...she doesn't know a thing...no, not her...doesn't know a band-aid from a worm..." she mumbled as she left the vicinity.  Severus smiled triumphantly and returned to his elf gazing.  

Reign wanted desperately to awaken her body and gaze back into his obsidian eyes.  But she looked to her father and also wanted desperately to stay with him.  He seemed to read her mind and smiled.

            "_Y sâ layu di â_," he said as he embraced her one last time.  "But _you_ will not be with _me_ for a long time."  It was more of a command then a statement.  Reign nodded in reassurance and smiled at her father.

            "_El amor, Paero_," she said softly.

            "_El amor, tu ita stèlaã_."  He put his hands over her eyes and her world turned to black as she fell into a deep slumber.

***

The next time Reign opened her eyes and turned her head she endured a tremendous amount of pain.  Every muscle and bone screamed out as her movements tortured them.  But she didn't stop until she could see Severus.

He was sleeping in a chair by her bed with his arms folded across his chest and his head lying against his shoulder.  His hair was a mess, as were his clothes.  She noticed the dried blood on his black attire—her blood—and frowned.  

Slowly she turned her whole body to the side so she could watch him sleep.  A smile crept up on her lips as she observed his chest rise and fall gradually and his hair fall into his face.  She was about to reach up and remove the locks when he opened his eyes.  Her smile grew as he stretched his arms and yawned.  After rubbing his eyes he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

            "How are you feeling?"

            "A lot better than I felt last night."  The Potions Master chuckled.  Reign held out her hand and touched his arm.  "Thank you for saving my life, Severus…I know that must have been hard for you.  I'm so-"      

            "Sorry.  I know."  He leaned forward.  "Don't be."  Reign's mouth hung open as he fell back into the chair.  He wasn't mad at her?  "What?" he asked, noticing her stunned look.

            "It's nothing," she said as she lifted herself up—with his help—to sit upright against the headboard, "it's just that...I thought you'd be furious with me...taking the easy way out and all..."

            "I wasn't going to let you."

            "Obviously," she smiled.  They lapsed into silence as Reign looked out the window.  The clouds from the previous night's storm were just now starting to clear out, making way for beautiful beams of sunlight to stream through the window and fall into her lap.  Her fingers weaved happily through the light.  The elf smiled like a small child playing with a new toy.  She jumped when Severus started speaking again.

            "I've been thinking," he began.  Reign gave him a look.  "Not for long periods of time...just in short little spurts now and then."  He smiled at her and Reign had no choice but to return the notion.  "I've realized that it was wrong for me to condemn you for what you did.  I was hurt and I let my pain run my life.  It's been doing that for eighteen years," he said sadly, "but the pain shielded me.  It set me up to push others away so I wouldn't have to get hurt again.  But you...Reign, you've been through so much.  Far worse things then I can even imagine...I had no right-"

            "Yes, Severus.  You did," she interrupted.  "I don't blame you for acting like you did.  I would have probably acted the same way."  She looked down at her hands and frowned at the sight of her wrists.  "I've been doing some thinking myself, actually."

            "Oh?"

            "You probably don't even want to hear this...not after all that's happened."

            "You can't say that and not tell me, Reign."

            "I know, I know...it's just...don't get angry, alright?"  He raised his eyebrow at her but didn't say anything.  He just watched as she sighed and looked down at her hands—which were now playing with her sheets.  "I don't think I am as in love with you as I originally thought."

            "Really?"  

            "Are you mad?"  Severus laughed.

            "No, no-"         

            "Don't get me wrong, Severus.  I still have feelings for you...it's just-"

            "Just what, Reign?  Spit it out already."  The elf turned toward him and swung her legs over the side of the bed.  

            "I just have this feeling that I'm cursed in the ways of love—especially with humans.  I know that sounds crazy.  I know _I_ sound crazy…after all I've said and done to try to win you back-"

            "Don't worry about it," he said, putting his finger to her lips.  "Our relationship was doomed from the beginning."

            "You think?"

            "I know."  Reign averted her gaze and looked around the sterile room.  She rocked back and forth, nodding with her whole body.  When she returned her attention back to Severus, she saw the sympathy and kindness in his eyes that she had longed to see again after so many years.  And it was that moment when she realized that even though she did not love him, she wanted to be with him forever.  

It wouldn't have made sense to anyone if she had tried to explain it, but it made sense to her.

And that's all that mattered.  She fell out of the bed and into Snape's open arms, embracing him with more emotion than ever before.  Her fingers gripped the back of his cloak like she was hanging on for her life.  Severus noticed the power and returned it by wrapping his arms tightly around her weak body.

            "Thank you, Severus.  Thank you for everything."  He rested his cheek on the top of her head and closed his eyes.  She fit so well in his arms, like she was made for them.  It broke his heart to hear her say that she didn't love him anymore.  When she had first told him he wanted to throw himself out the window.  

But then he remembered how she had every right to act a little insane after what she had been through.  And he honestly believed her when she said she was cursed in the ways of human love.  And he had almost believed himself when he said their relationship was doomed from the beginning.

Almost.

Reign released herself from his grasp and slipped back into her covers.  Severus leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest once more.  He watched as the elf removed her bandages and gazed at her wrists.

The scars were horrible.  Granted they matched the stencil formed from the moonlight perfectly, but they were hideous carvings that she desperately wanted to get rid of. 

Elves didn't have a lot of scars.  If they ever got one, it was easily cleared up with a little of their saliva.  So Reign brought her wrist to her mouth and sucked on the skin.  It tasted bitter; she received a nasty shock and immediately withdrew her hand.  The scar was still there.  It didn't disappear like it was supposed to.  That could only mean one thing.

            "What is it?"  Reign was staring in disbelief at her injuries.

            "No...it couldn't be..."  She attempted to kiss the scars again, and this time Severus literally saw the sparks fly from her wrists to her mouth. 

            "What the-" Reign explained to him why elves never had scars.  

            "The only explanation as to why these are still here is that they were created by a great evil—like that of Voldemort."  Severus stopped breathing.

            "But how is that possible?  You were the one who-" Reign rubbed her scars and thought long and hard about the previous night.  She had taken the arrows and...

            "Oh _Kor_," she sighed, throwing her head back and hitting her forehead with her fists.  "Why—didn't—I—think-" Severus grabbed her hands to stop her self-mutilation.

            "What, Reign?  Jesus, what is it?"

            "The arrows!" she hissed at him as if he should have known.  "I found them in the woods a few days ago…they were lying right in front of me.  I saw a figure far off in the distance…it must have been him!"

            "But how did he know you would use them to hurt yourself?"

            "He knew because he _planned_ it.  A wizard can't curse an elf's possessions, but they can charm them into seeming attractive.  I don't really know how to explain it.  Somehow he knew I was depressed.  He used my weakness to draw me to my own weapons and use them to inflict harm on myself."

            "But why would he want to kill you when he's been after you all this time?  Wouldn't he want you alive?"  Reign thought a moment.

            "He probably knew you would save me.  In fact I'm sure of it.  He knew you would find me…and you wouldn't let me die.  And he knew that I wouldn't be able to rid myself of his mark."  She looked down to her scars.  "He's got me." 

            "Who's got you, dear?"  Both Reign and Severus jumped at the sound of Madam Pomfrey's voice as she came into their view.

            "Oh, it's nothing," she quickly replied, shoving her hands under her sheets.  

            "Too complicated for an old nurse, eh?" she replied sarcastically.

            "Oh Poppy, don't be like that."

            "Hmph, well-" she sneered as she pulled back the sheets.  "Reign!  I swear…the things I do for you…and this is how you repay me!?" she scolded after noticing the elf had removed her bandages herself.

            "Oh Poppy, give it a rest," Severus sighed from his chair.  The nurse snapped her head up and glared at him.

            "That's enough out of you, Professor.  You either stay and shut your trap or leave."  

Needless to say Severus folded his arms and tightened his lips.  Reign smiled as Poppy cleaned her injuries and re-wrapped them in new gauze.

            "Keep these covered for at _least_ a week.  No peeking!"  The elf beamed.

            "Where would I be without you, Poppy?"  Her smile melted the nurse's heart and she returned the notion.  She laughed and shook her head as she gathered her supplies. 

            "Six feet under, child."  The smiles faded as Reign was reminded of the seriousness of her actions.

            "Thank you, Poppy…for saving my life yet again."

            "It's what I'm here for," she winked and left.  Reign watched the nurse go and was filled with the deepest respect for her.  

She turned back to Severus when he cleared his throat.

            "Right, well, as I was saying," Reign continued, "even if he knew I would make it through this, why is he still after me?  He knows I destroyed the potion-"

            "But he knows you created it."

            "Yes, but I don't remember _how_.  I'm of no use to him whatsoever."  She brought her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them as she thought.  "And why would he send Lucius after me?  Surely there are other ways to become 'all-powerful'.  The potion wasn't _that_ great."

Severus stared long and hard at the stone floor as he thought.

            "Perhaps it's not the potion he's after anymore."  

            "What do you mean?"  Severus moved to the edge of his chair and rested his elbows on his knees.

            "Maybe it's _you."_

"What are you talking about?  You mean my elvin powers?"

            "Perhaps…" Reign laughed.

            "That's ridiculous…I'm by no means the most powerful elf there is.  I'm just a common, regular old elf.  There are more powerful versions of my kind that he could go after."

            "Are you sure you know the extent of your powers?"  Reign froze.  Her left eyebrow lifted.

            "Severus, I think by now I would know what I am capable of."  The man shrugged.

            "I'm just saying-"

            "What?  I don't understand.  Elves always know how powerful they are by the time the turn one thousand years old."  Severus shot forward and point at her nose.

            "But you're what, 1,020?  That's just barely over 1,000."  Reign laughed.

            "So?"  Snape leaned onto her bed.

            "Couldn't it be possible that you may have some sort of hidden powers that he knows about?  Just maybe?"  The elf hesitated.  Looking out of the window, she thought hard about her own abilities.  She looked back into Snape's eager eyes and sighed.

            "Maybe it's possible, but I just don't think-"

            "Well perhaps that's your problem."  He smiled at her.  "You don't think."  Reign hit him playfully in the chest before he sat back in his chair.

            "How would Voldemort know more about me than I do about myself?"  Severus shrugged.

            "Perhaps someone, somewhere, knows the truth about Reign the elf."


	27. Insightful Recognitions

I was so worried I wouldn't be able to write another chapter before I left this weekend (I have an interview in TN for a scholarship).  But lo and behold, I woke up this morning to a SNOW DAY (sometimes I can't help but love living in Michigan).  Since I had so much time on my hands, what else did I do but write!  Just for you!  YEAH!

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Insightful Recognitions

The sun was once more shining its brightest as Reign slid back into the sheets of her hospital bed and laid her head on the pillow.  She was so tired—physically and emotionally.  But she had realized something when she had been with her father for that very short period of time, and her suspicions had been confirmed when she had waken and spoken to Severus.  

She did love him, but it was a love most humans were not aware of.  They, too, possessed this deep admiration for others, but they nearly always labeled it as the type of lustful love.  

What it really was was what the elves call _admor infinitum, or "forever love".  It is that safe and secure feeling that one gets from being around a specific individual, that feeling of "it feels like I've known you forever", that feeling that the day is worthless and wasted without the presence of that one individual.  It is a longing, a craving to be with them, but it is not love.  _

It is a reunion.  A meeting of old souls.  According to the elves, there is only one afterlife, and in this supposed "Heaven" (as humans refer to it) all souls interact with one another—whether it be the soul of an elf with a troll or that of a human with a butterfly.  Everything is interconnected and some souls form special bonds with others.  

It is a rare and joyous occasion when these souls find each other in the realm of the living, but that is just what happened with Reign and Severus.  He would not realize it for quite some time, or he may never realize it, but he would sense it.  He would know in the deepest, most hidden portion of his heart.

An innocent smile played across the elf's lips as she closed her eyes.  Severus lifted himself from his chair to find Madam Pomfrey standing near the curtains with her arms folded across her chest.  She cleared her throat and scowled at the Professor.

            "I'm leaving, I'm leaving," he coaxed her.  Bending over to remove a strand of pure white hair from the face of the elf, he kissed her forehead softly.  "Sleep well, Reign."  Poppy gave him a satisfied nod as he straightened and strode out of the room, then turned back to her office as Reign drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

The next time she awoke she was not alone.  Sitting in the chair next to her bed was Professor Helena Saxon, fumbling with papers as she tried to get herself situated.  

            "Oh Reign, you're awake," she said after noticing the woman's open eyes.  Once she finally got all her documents in order, she reached for her quill sitting in an inkbottle on the table next to the bed.  "I'm so glad you're all right.  We were really worried--" As she reached her stack of homework slipped out from under her, and in the process of trying to catch them she knocked over the ink.  Papers flew everywhere as she dove for the bottle, but she was too late.  The black liquid ended up all over the front of her robes, among other things.  "Bloody hell," she cursed as she knelt down to clean the mess.

Reign snickered from her position.  With a wave of her hand everything seemed to reverse itself.  The ink was pulled from Helena's robes and replaced in the bottle it was meant for, and the papers picked themselves up and flew into Professor Saxon's hands.  Full of amazement, she sat down and thanked the elf.

            "Can't get away from your job, can you?"  Helena grasped the papers firmly in her hand as she reached for the quill for the second time—this attempt more successful then the last.

            "I promised my seventh years I'd have these reports back to them by tomorrow," she said as she began to skim the essays.  "But I also wanted to check on you."  She lifted her head and smiled.  Reign returned it, thanking her for her concern.

            "Who's 'we'?" she asked after a moment of silence.  The professor looked up at her with a vexed expression.  "Earlier you said 'we were concerned about you'." 

            "Oh yes…well, they should be here shortly," she replied as a bell rang outside in the hall, signaling the end of classes.  Reign rolled onto her back and attempted to stick her hands under her head.  Her wrists were still tender, however, and she was forced to stare at the ceiling with her hands folded on her stomach.  

Several minutes went by before she heard three sets of footsteps entering the Hospital Wing.  She turned her head to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione come into view.  Ron was holding a bouquet of orchids.

            "These are for you," he said softly, holding them out for her to see.  Then he quickly added, "They're from all of us."  Next to him, both Harry and Hermione shook their heads, and Hermione mouthed, "No they're not," as she pointed to the red-haired, red-faced young man standing next to her.  

Reign laughed and thanked Ron, motioning for them to come further into the room.  Hermione took a seat at the edge of the bed, while Harry leaned against the divider and Ron sat at his feet.  The woman beamed at them, grateful for their company.

            "How long are you going to be here?" Harry asked.  Reign rolled her eyes.

            "With Madam Pomfrey, who knows?"

            "I heard that!" came a strict voice from the end of the wing.  The trio, the professor, and the elf all snickered.

            "Probably not too much longer.  I'm feeling much better."

            "How are those reports coming along, Professor?" Hermione asked.  Helena looked up from her work and grinned.

            "Wouldn't you like to know, Miss Granger?"  The girl looked down at her feet and her teacher laughed.  "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Hermione."  Her head lifted with her spirits and she smiled proudly as her two friends scowled.  From the head of the bed, Reign was laughing.

            "Do these three remind you of anyone?" she asked Helena.  The professor looked thoughtfully at each of her students.  Her eyes widened slightly as she realized whom Reign was referring to.

            "Oh be serious now," she said, shaking her head.

            "I am being serious.  We have the famous one," she pointed to Harry, who frowned slightly, "his faithful sidekick," Ron resorted to smiling when he couldn't tell if it was a compliment or not, "and the know-it-all."  She pointed to Hermione.  The boys laughed.

            "I resent that," Hermione said, crossing her arms.

            "Me too," Helena replied.  The trio stared in awe at her as she leaned back in her chair.  "Wow, you're right.  They even synchronize their reactions like we used to."  

            "Who's 'we'?" Ron asked from the floor.  Helena told them of another famous trio that went to Hogwarts eighteen years ago, and how she was one of the members of that group.  Reign lifted herself up and leaned back against the headboard.  She grinned as Helena told her story.

            "And Reign here was the unofficial fourth member," she finished, pointing to the recovering elf, who chuckled.

            "Wicked," Ron said.  Helena looked to her watch.

            "Goodness, it's getting rather late.  Dinner is almost over."

            "We'd better go, then," Hermione said as she lifted herself from the bed and helped Professor Saxon with her mess of parchment.  They all said their goodbyes, and Reign thanked Ron for the flowers, who blushed and reminded her that they were from all three of them.  Harry was the last to leave.

            "Harry, do you mind staying for a bit longer?  I'd like to speak with you alone."  Ron's body sank as his friend took the seat next to the bed.  After they left Reign folded her hands and draped the curtain of all seriousness over herself.  "How are you, Harry?"  The boy looked at her suspiciously.

            "I'm fine-"

            "No, I mean how _are _you?  How is your heart?  Your soul?" she paused.  "Your scar?"  Harry looked away.

            "My nightmares are getting worse.  The images of Cedric…my parents…Voldemort, are all becoming more clear…more heartbreaking…and more horrific."  He paused to push a strand of his dark hair from his face.  "And not a day goes by where my scar doesn't hurt."  The elf stroked her chin as he spoke.      

            "You feel it too, then?"

            "His powers are growing."

            "Yes.  He's getting closer and closer to achieving his goals.  The culmination of his power draws near."  She turned to Harry, whose green eyes filled with sudden anxiety.  "What are you planning to do after you graduate?"

            "I'm not sure.  Professor Moody has approached me about becoming an Auror-"

            "Hmm..."

            "And Fudge has offered me a job at the Ministry.  But-"

            "He's an idiot, and you would hate working there."  Harry nodded.  "Have you ever thought about coming back to teach here?"

            "Maybe, but that's really the last thing I would want to do...come back here and do it all over again for the rest of my life."  Reign laughed.

            "That's the opinion most students have," she replied.  "The reason I ask, Harry, is because there is a war brewing—as I'm sure you've heard, or at least felt—and Dumbledore is going to need all the help he can get.  You'd be a perfect asset if you were close to him."  She paused to watch Harry think.  His eyebrows pulled together and his upper lip curled like Snape's did when he was thinking.  But Reign didn't dare tell the boy of the similarity.  "That's just something to think about, though.  You should do whatever it is you really want to do.  There's nothing worse than being stuck doing something you don't enjoy for the rest of your life."  

That signaled the end of their conversation.  Harry rose and thanked her before he left.  Just before he rounded the corner, though, he turned back.

            "Do you think you'll be well enough by tomorrow afternoon?"  

            "Most definitely.  Why?"

            "Well it's Gryffindor versus Slytherin tomorrow at the Quidditch match, and I thought you might like to come and watch."  He looked down at his feet.  "Ron would sure appreciate it," he added, lifting his head and grinning at the patient.

            "Well in that case, I'd love to."  She winked and they both laughed.

Reign sighed as she lowered herself back onto the bed after Harry left.  

That night she dreamt of playing chess with Ron in a field of orchids, and of Severus and Harry laughing and getting along as they surveyed the game.  Just before she awoke, however, the crystal blue sky of her dream darkened as ominous black clouds formed over the horizon and crept toward her and her companions.


	28. The Quidditch Match

Lucky, lucky you.  Two chapters in one day.  Thank the good Lord for snow days, eh?  Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The Quidditch Match

The next day—after much protest from the hesitant Madam Pomfrey—Reign left the Hospital Wing feeling like a brand new elf.  She walked the halls of Hogwarts with a new sense of purpose, even if it was of little significance.

She had a Quidditch match to attend.

The first thing she did after entering her rooms was throw a sheet over her headboard to cover the cursed snake engraved in it.  Then she took her arrows and performed a spell to drain them of the black magic they possessed.

Then there was the blood.  Reign shuddered at the sight of her precious liquid of life that stained the floor, window seat, and wall of her room.  The trail it had created through the castle had been cleared away for some time, but no one dared entered her rooms while she was absent.  

Reign went to the window and stroked the glass and seat.  Long, brilliant strands of golden light escaped her fingers and penetrated the stains, obliterating them.  She did the same for the other areas of the room, and then she went to her wardrobe.

***  

Even her thick cloak and many layers could not stop the cold from chilling her very bones.  The walk from the front gate to the Quidditch pitch seemed to take longer than it should have, with each step freezing a larger portion of her body than the one before it.  

But then she found Severus—a few heads taller than the students scattering at the sight of him as they filed down to the stadium—and the walk didn't seem so bad.  His infamous scowl disappeared at the sight of her.

            "You're free," he stated as she slipped her hand through his welcoming arm.  He didn't even flinch when the students noticed his odd behavior.

            "Finally," Reign laughed as they walked.  Immediately she began to feel the warmth spreading from his body to hers.  She smiled mischievously as they entered the stadium and ascended one of the towers.

The view was spectacular.  No one ever really took notice of it, but that afternoon Reign couldn't help but gawk.  They sat at the perfect position.  Looking passed the pitch she could see Hogsmeade as it glittered in the afternoon sun.  And beyond that the picturesque horizon, with it's lush green forest and miles and miles of pure Mother Nature.  

Severus took a seat next to Professor Sprout and Reign sat by his side.  The players were just finishing their warm-up when the last person rushed into the stands.

            "Have I missed it?" asked the man, slightly exasperated by his journey up the stairs.  All who had heard him shook their heads no, with the exception of two—Severus, who looked like he wanted to kill him, and Reign, who was too stunned to blink.  "Good, good," he said, straightening his perfect cloak and flipping back his perfect hair.  

He walked slowly toward his usual seat next to the Potions Master, but stopped when he noticed it was taken.  "Well, well," he said, sitting instead beside Reign.  Her lips were pressed tight and her narrowed eyes never left his face as he sat.  "This is a pleasant surprise."  He smiled like the demon he was as he folded his brand-new cane across his lap.

            "What are you doing here?" Reign spat at him when she found her voice.  Lucius laughed.

            "My dear, do you honestly believe that I am one of those fathers who never involves himself with his own child's life?"  He pointed to a blonde-haired student ahead of them who whizzed past in the green Quidditch robes of the Slytherin team.  Reign felt slightly humiliated and Lucius smirked as she turned away from him.  Next to her Severus looked like he was about to explode.  His nostrils were flaring and the small muscle above his lip twitched.  Reign put a hand on his arm to calm him.  They locked eyes and he began to breathe again.  

            "Do you want to move?" he whispered to her.

            "No.  We'll be fine."

            "Of course you will," Malfoy assured from her side.  Reign spun around, nearly hitting him with her own head because he was leaning in so close to her.  He snapped back as Severus came into view behind the elf.  The look on his face was murderous.

            "LOVELY day for Quidditch, wouldn't you say?"  All three adults jumped out of their skin as Dumbledore's booming voice came from behind them.

            "Yes, Albus, lovely day," Reign replied first, having the quickest recovery rate of the three.  The Headmaster smiled as he leaned back, satisfied that he had broken the tension between them.

            "Well here it is, folks!  The match you've been waiting for!" shouted Lee Jordan over the chatter of the crowd.  "Gryffindor versus Slytherin!"  

From opposite ends of the field fourteen students flew into the afternoon sun.  Flashes of green and red crossed Reign's line of vision as they flew past her.  Harry slowed down just a bit to give her a wave, which she returned enthusiastically.  She jabbed Severus in the side when he expressed his distaste.

It was the most brutal match Reign had ever witnessed.  And it was also the closest match.  Curses could be heard all around the stadium as a Chaser from Slytherin purposely threw himself into the Gryffindor Keeper.  

Reign's eyes widened as her ears picked up the vulgarities streaming out of Harry's mouth.  She scowled at him from across the way and he froze.  Reign watched as a small object flew past his face, and shortly after Draco Malfoy flew past also.  She heard Lucius snicker as Draco nearly knocked Harry off his broom.  

            "Oh come off it, Lucius.  Everyone knows Harry's the better player," she shot at him.  Malfoy got red in the face but refrained from retaliating.  Reign hadn't even looked at him when she said it, but instead was watching the chase for the snitch with intense interest.  It was the first time she really cared about the game.  The cold atmosphere that made her eyes water and her nose run was completely forgotten as Draco and Harry battled on the Quidditch field.  

            "Harry Potter is gaining on Draco Malfoy!  Go Harry, GO!  Beat that nasty Slytherin--" Lee was shouting.  Professor McGonagall grabbed his arm and reminded him that his commentary was supposed to be unbiased.  Jordan just smiled; it wasn't the first time she had told him that, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.  

Reign was literally on the edge of her seat as the Seekers raced in and out of the poles and their teammates.  She held her breath every time Harry turned over on his broom to try to get ahead of Malfoy.  Draco tried his hardest to keep Harry behind him—trying harder to do that, in fact, than to get the Golden Snitch.  At one point he flat out stopped in mid-air, and Harry crashed into him.

            "Why you little--" Reign shouted as she stood up and shook her fist at Draco.

            "A-hem," Lucius cleared his throat next to her, "may I remind you that that is my son down there--"

            "Oh, you don't need to remind me," she said as she resumed her seat, "the resemblance is _uncanny_."

Luckily Harry managed to stay on his broom, but they both had lost the Snitch.  It took ten more minutes before Harry spotted it again.

Reign nearly fell backwards as the object flew right in front of her face.  It hovered there a few seconds before fleeing as Harry raced toward it.  Lucius stood on his feet and shouted at Draco.

            "After him, Draco!  You stupid boy!  He's going to win!"  The veins in his neck pulsated as he screamed after his son.  Draco took a deep breath and raced after Harry.

But it was pointless.  By the time he caught up to him he had already caught the prized Snitch, and the game was over.  Slytherin 120, Gryffindor 230.  He had lost.

Lucius stood at the top of the tower, squeezing his cane tight and narrowing his eyes.  

            "Damn it, Draco!" he cursed as he swiftly left.  Reign would have smiled at his obvious frustration if she hadn't been so worried about what he was going to do to his son.

            "Where are you going?" Severus asked as she rose and headed toward the stairs.

            "I'll be right back," was the only answer that came.  

Reign cautiously followed Lucius as he walked down the stairs and out into the afternoon.  His hands were still squeezing his cane and he was mumbling to himself.  Proceeding slowly after him, she stopped when Draco came into view.  They were hidden from the rest of the crowd behind one of the towers, and as soon as the boy approached his father he received a harsh blow to the side of the head.

            "You insolent fool!  _Anyone_ could have gotten that thing if they were going up against you!"

            "I'm s-sorry, Father.  Potter s-spotted it before me," he stuttered.  Lucius threw him against the wood and struck him with his cane.

            "That shouldn't matter!  I got you on to that bloody team, and this is how you repay me?  You're a disgrace to the Malfoy name."  The venom dripped in his voice with those last words.  Draco lowered his head as the tears formed in his eyes.

            "I'm sorry, Father.  It won't happen again."  

            "It had better not, or next time I won't be using my fist or cane against you," he threatened, grasping the end of the cane and pulling his wand out just to emphasize his point.  After he left the boy slumped to the ground and let the tears pour as he clutched his burning face.  Reign walked slowly toward him and knelt down to his level.  

            "Bloody hell!" he shrieked when he noticed her presence.  He fell back onto the grass and scowled at the elf.  "What do you want?"  Reign responded by leaning forward and kissing his cheek.  The throbbing pain receded from his face and his tears no longer fell.  "How--" was all that came out of his mouth as Reign helped him up.

            "You shouldn't let him do that to you."

            "He's my father, he has a right--"

            "NO ONE," Reign shouted, "has the right to inflict harm upon another.  Least of all a parent to their own child."  Draco lowered his head and stared at his feet.  Lifting his chin, the elf gazed into his eyes.  "You are better than he is, Draco."  The boy blinked.  Reign smiled, and then she was gone.


	29. Voyage to the Stars

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Voyage to the Stars

Reign walked away from her encounter with Draco hoping that something good would come of it.  What she had witnessed between Father and Son was enough to make her blood boil.  She would have stopped the abuse if she hadn't been so afraid.  

The elf shivered as she imagined what would have happened if she had interfered like she had wanted so desperately to do.  But at least she had eased the boy's pain...physical pain, that is.  

Reign attempted to soften her own tenderness by pulling back her sleeves and rubbing her scars.  They itched uncontrollably, but that was most likely due to the fact that they were not fully recovered.  But Reign knew that they would never be, and that made her rub even harder as she walked back to the stands.

            "There you are," came a voice ahead of her.  She looked up with glistening eyes at Severus.  He came toward her and—noticing her anguish—took her wrist in his hand and kissed it gently.  Even through the gauze, Reign could feel the warmth from his lips—though it wasn't enough.

Two very shocked first year Ravenclaws stopped in their tracks directly behind Reign.  The Potions Master glared at them and opened his mouth to take away points but they had left immediately after he gave them his infamous scowl.  So he returned his concentration to the elf.

            "If you give your attention to them, they will only grow more bothersome," he said softly.

            "How can I _not_ give my attention to them?  Severus, look at them!"  She ripped off the coverings and shoved her injuries in his face.  "Look at his marks upon my skin and tell me that they don't gain attention all by themselves!"  Severus frowned and lowered her wrists.

            "Reign, relax.  Put your bandages back on."  That was all it took for her to obey—his silky voice telling her to relax.  Even _she_ couldn't disobey his orders when he spoke to her like that.  

The woman scowled at him as she wrapped her wrists and hid them in her pockets.  Taking her by the arm, they began their journey around the field.

Harry stood in the middle of a large group of Gryffindors as he tried to make his way toward the locker rooms.  Hands were flying everywhere—shaking his hand, patting his back—and a wave of compliments flooded his ears.  He caught a glimpse of Reign as she walked by with the Potions Master.  It was a difficult task, but he managed to squeeze his way through the crowd to meet her.

            "Well done, Harry.  Congratulations."

            "Thanks.  I'm glad you got out in time to watch."

            "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."  The elf smiled at the Seeker, who was already grinning by the time he arrived.  Severus tapped his foot impatiently and refused to make eye contact with Harry...until Reign jabbed him in the side.

            "Congratulations, Potter," he mumbled.

            "Thank you, Professor."  Severus was about to make a rude observation, but was stopped when Reign took notice of his open mouth.  She shook her head at him as if to say, 'Don't even think about it'.  It was enough for him to shut his lips and cross his arms in disgust.

            "Harry, come on!"  Ron called from the back of the dissipating crowd.  His face turned a brilliant shade of red when Reign waved to him.  

            "Well that's my cue.  Thanks again for coming."

            "It was a pleasure.  Congratulations again for a great game."  

            "It wasn't that great," Severus mumbled after Harry was out of earshot.

            "For pity's sake, Severus, just because you have a grudge against the boy--"

            "I do not!"  He folded his arms across his chest and frowned like a young child.  Reign laughed at his behavior, but stopped when more sharp pains struck her.  She scraped her wrists together to dull the pain but it just made them burn even brighter.  

            "Reign..." Snape warned from her side.

            "I can't help it!  It's these bloody bandages!"  She ripped them off again once and for all and threw them to the ground.  Then she smothered them into the dirt with her boot, smiling satisfactorily at the ruined bindings.  Severus just shook his head—there was no stopping her when she had her mind set.

Reign lifted her hands into the air and let the cool breeze wash over her wrists.  They were being suffocated under the bandages; all they really needed was fresh air.  As they walked Reign lowered her hands and gazed into the distance.  It was around noon and the rooftops of the shops of Hogsmeade glittered in the afternoon sun.  The elf looked once more to her wrists and wondered how she was going to hide them from prying eyes.

            "How about a trip to Hogsmeade?" she asked, turning to her companion.  Snape stopped dead in his tracks.

            "You're joking."  

            "I never joke," she replied with a devilish grin.  "Oh come on, what better way to spend your Saturday than _shopping_?"  The word rang in his ears and created a massive headache that spread through his entire head, causing his face to contort.

            "I don't shop," he stated plainly.

            "I could really use the company," Reign begged, folding her hands in a praying motion as she moved toward him.  "Please, Severus?  I really need something heavier to wear...and I'd like to find some gloves...PLEASE?"  She let her bottom lip quiver as she pouted in front of him.  The man rolled his eyes.  "Besides, I could use a pair of good strong arms to carry my packages for me," she said as she squeezed his upper arms.

            "Well gee, why didn't you say so in the first place?  Of course I'll go shopping with you if I can be your slave."  The sarcasm dripped off of every word.  Reign laughed and punched his arm playfully.

            "Honestly, Severus, besides lowering your students self-esteem by marking up their papers and scaring the wits out of young children as you march through the halls, what else have you got to do today?"  A sigh escaped his lips as he surveyed the elf standing in front of him with her hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised in anticipation.

            "This had better be quick."  A wide grin crept slowly across Reign's face as she took his arm.

***  

Saturday was always the busiest day for the shops at Hogsmeade, and that day was no exception.  Severus had regretted agreeing to the trip from the start, but as soon as they were pushing their way through the crowded streets of the town, he immediately wanted to turn and run as fast as he could in the opposite direction.  He would have, too, if a certain young elf hadn't been holding on to him to prevent his escape.  

A small bell rang as they entered Gladrags Wizardwear.  The old witch behind the counter grimaced at Reign's back as she glanced around the shop at the racks of clothes.  Severus saw the woman and gave her a look of his own.  She immediately straightened and went to the back room to avoid having to deal with the new customer.

Reign stood in the middle of the shop and spun in a slow circle, searching for the perfect coat.  There were loads of cloaks of every color, but most shrouded the smaller coverings beside them.  Reign strained to see between the large fabrics, and finally she saw it.  

She walked swiftly toward the rack and shoved her hand between two vibrant blue cloaks.  She dug deeper and deeper until she finally retrieved what she had been looking for.  It was perfect.  The coat was as black as night itself—even darker than Snape's layers.  Reign slid into the jacket and marveled at the silver clasps and hidden pockets.  The sleeves were cut up to mid-forearm, but the slits were held together by black leather string.  The coat fell to just above her knees and had a small slit up the back to allow for easy sitting.  Amazed, her eyes slid over the material as it fell gracefully over her body.  

From the other side of the shop, Severus watched her curiously.  She seemed mesmerized by the coat, as if she was almost meant to find it.

            "It looks beautiful on you," he said as he approached her.  The contrast of her pure white hair with the dark coat was truly stunning.

            "Thank you."  She looked up and smiled at him, then walked toward the counter where the shopkeeper had just returned.  Setting her elbows on top of the wood, Reign stared hard at the woman and said, "I need some gloves."  The old witch waved them behind the counter and into a back room.  

Along the walls were shelves upon shelves of gloved hands.  Vibrant colors and fur lined fabrics were just some of the extras that adorned them.  Reign went to a pair of hands that wore black, fingerless leather gloves and wrapped around the wrist.  She pulled them from the hands and placed them on her own.  Once again, they were perfect.  They covered her scars completely but were loose enough to keep them from itching, and were fingerless—which allowed her the freedom of working with her hands without the hassle of heavy fabric.  With the coat and gloves still on, Reign went back to the main room of the shop.

            "I'll take these too," she said, raising her hands for the woman to see.  The witch punched a few buttons on the cash register and waited patiently as Reign retrieved her money pouch.

            "That'll be 105 Galleons."  Reign heard Severus gasp and clear his throat from behind her.  She looked up at him and saw that his eyes had grown rather large.

            "This is the other reason I wanted you to come with me," she started, "I still have no idea how the money system works here."

            "Obviously," he said, leaning on the counter.  He glared at the shopkeeper.  "Don't you think that 105 Galleons is a little pricey for a coat and a pair of gloves?"

            "Sorry, sir, but that's what the price tag says.  090 for the coat, and 015 for the gloves."  Snape reached around the elf's neck and retrieved the tag.  

            "Why you conniving hag," he spat, "this says 060 for the coat, not 090.  You _can_ read, can't you?"  The witch's face turned bright red as she re-did her calculations.

            "75 Galleons," she mumbled.  Reign held out her pouch and let Severus count out the money.  As they left, they could hear the shopkeeper spitting curses at their backs…up until a young man and his wife entered the shop, dressed exquisitely and looking very wealthy.

            "Are we done?" Severus asked as they pushed their way through the mass of people.

            "Yes, yes, I suppose."  Reign smiled when she heard the sigh of relief from Snape's direction.

***

After dinner Reign and Severus went up to the Astronomy Tower together.  The elf sat on the brick and dangled her feet over the ledge while Snape sat next to her with his back against the wall.  It was a clear night and the stars were shining their brightest as they sat silently gazing at the landscape laid out below them.  Reign still wore her jacket and gloves.  She played with the leather strings and Severus smiled to himself; she looked once again like a child with a new toy.

At the same time, however, she looked similar to a ghost.  The wind was stronger atop the tower and it whipped her hair around her face.  The moonlight shone upon her pale head and it cast an eerie glow about her features.  She raised her face to look up at the stars and became like a doll with her sudden stillness.

            "The stars are beautiful tonight."  Severus nodded in agreement, though he wasn't looking at them.  He could tell she was thinking.  Her eyes glistened with tears and her face twisted to stop them from falling.

            "What is it, Reign?  What are you thinking?"  She turned to him and a solitary tear fell down her cheek.  He reached up and wiped it away, his hand still lingering on her skin.  The elf turned away and wiped her eyes.  

            "My mother would always tell me that I was a gift from the stars.  We would spend hours outside gazing at the sky at night.  Then she would put me to bed, and she would sing to me.  She had a beautiful voice—even Jonah wasn't too old to listen to her song.  It would lure us to sleep and then she would blow out the flame of the candle and leave us, still humming her melody.  And then she would go out into the main room where my father sat reading, or doing paperwork for the elders, and she would lift him out of his chair and they would dance.  Sometimes I would creep to the door to peek out and watch them," she laughed at the memory of herself squeezing her small face through the tiny opening of her bedroom door.  

"They floated across the floor like angels.  The smiles on their faces grew wider with every step, and with every dance their love grew deeper.  I would watch them until my eyes started to close on their own, and then I would go to the window and pray to _Kor_ that I would find someone like my father, and I would be as happy as my parents."  The tears came freely then, and Reign didn't stop them.  "I would pray to those stars every night that I would be happy, when I should have been praying for the happiness and safety of my people."  Her legs stopped kicking in the air and she drew her knees up to her chin.  Severus peeled himself off of the wall and inched closer to her.  

            "You can't change the past, Reign," he soothed her.  "No one can."

            "I know, I know.  But I still feel guilty.  I feel like I should have done something.  Or that I should be doing something now."  She looked up to the moon and sighed.  "What do I do now?" she asked it.  Her eyes closed as she soaked in the moon's rays, hoping that she would receive an answer.  

The wind suddenly ceased and the animals of the night became silent.  Severus remained motionless as Reign listened to the moon.  The light washed over her and whispered in her ear.  

            "_Calaë," it said softly.  The elf felt tiny pricks spread over her body as the light seeped into her skin.  Snape noticed the miniature sparks and gave a small grin; she sparkled in the light as if she was pure magic.  _

            "_Calaë," whispered the moon again.  Reign nodded and opened her eyes.  When she lowered her head soft clouds rolled in and covered the moon.  She lost her sparkle as the light disappeared behind the billows, but a twinkle still remained in her eyes._

            "Home," she whispered, gazing out into the night.

            "Home?"

            "Home.  Yes."  Her mind was still elsewhere.  Severus placed his hand on her shoulder to bring her back.  "I need to go home," she said, looking into his dark eyes.

            "You mean back to your village?"  The elf nodded.  "But I thought it was destroyed…"  She turned away from him and lowered her head, thinking.

            "Perhaps I was mistaken.  Perhaps there _is_ something left."  Looking back at Snape, she said, "Severus, I need to go back...I am being told to...I am supposed to go back..."

            "But--"

            "I want to go home."  Severus dropped his hand into his lap and gazed inquisitively at the elf.  He had never seen her look this determined.  Her eyes contained an intense passion that he dared not contradict.

            "Then you should go home."

            "Will you come with me?"  The man drew in a sharp breath and straightened in his seat.  

            "I don't think so, Reign.  I have so much to do here; it wouldn't be possible for me to just up and leave--"

            "We could wait until the summer.  I wouldn't mind...the weather would be nicer for traveling anyway..."  The man shook his head.

            "I just don't know..."    

            "Please, Severus.  I would feel a lot safer if you were with me."  Her eyes penetrated his own and pleaded with his heart.  Snape bit his bottom lip.  "And I would really enjoy your company."  A small groan sounded in his throat.  Never in his life had he traveled so long with someone to some place he had never been to.  It was an adventure he wasn't sure he was ready for.

            "I will have to think about it."

            "That's all I ask," she replied with a small grin.  Reign slid off of the ledge and straightened her coat.  "It's late.  I think I'll head off to bed."  Severus nodded and followed her lead back down into the castle.  At the entrance to her rooms, they embraced.

            "Thank you for a truly wonderful day."

            "It was my pleasure," he replied as they parted.  "Sleep well."

            "And you also."  Reign watched as Severus turned and walked back down the corridor, his black robes billowing behind him.  She was so grateful for him.

***

Inside her chambers, Reign removed her new jacket and placed it in her wardrobe.  After setting her gloves on the nightstand she went to the bathroom.  The elf let the water run over her scars before splashing some of the liquid onto her face.  It was cool and refreshing.  

She opened her eyes when she didn't hear the familiar sound of the miniature waterfall.  Screaming, Reign fell back into the wall and onto the floor.  She sat clutching her heart until her pulse returned to normal.  

Had it been a hallucination?  What had she just seen?  She knew the answer to that; she had seen drops of water.  They were suspended in the air.  Like crystals, they hung below her only for an instant.  When she crawled back to the sink they were gone.  The water poured out of the faucet like it had before the incident.  She turned it off and stumbled back to her bed.

Looking to her scars, she scowled, and then ripped off the sheet from the headboard.  Glaring at the snake—whose eyes glowed bright green—she asked with a shaking voice,

            "What have you done to me now?"


	30. The Encounter

Chapter Thirty

The Encounter

"_Räénh._"  

The elf opened her eyes to the same darkness that shrouded them when her lids were closed.  Her heart leapt into her throat as her chest rose and fell at a rapid speed.  Everywhere she turned there was nothing but black.  A sense of claustrophobia invaded her mind; she felt trapped in this obsidian pit.  

She was blind.  Shutting her eyes and re-opening them again, Reign hoped that the darkness would disappear.  But her efforts were to no avail.  The cloak smothered her still, and she began to panic.  Darting across the vast world of black, she threw her arms out in front of her, grasping for any sign of hope.  Her legs kicked furiously but because her surroundings never changed she felt as if she was running in place.  Reign closed her eyes and pinched her arm as she ran, hoping that she was dreaming and that the pinch would wake her.  Her eyes sprang open when she heard shrill laughter echoing through the void.

"_You are not going to get away that easily."  She stopped dead in her tracks, however few there were.  Spinning around—or perhaps staying in place—she searched into the pit for the owner of that horrific tone.  The elf shivered as the voice spoke her name.  If it had been any other voice, she would have believed that it was _Kor_ addressing her—but she knew this voice all too well._

From what she assumed was the ground, a figure rose a few feet from where she stood.  She heard the soft swish of heavy fabric and saw the gentle wave of a cloak as it moved toward her.  Her eyes widened in horror as the figure removed its hood to reveal a grotesque and familiar face.

The discolored pale face of Lord Voldemort floated in front of her, his blood red eyes burning her own, his thin, almost transparent lips curling up into a sinister smirk.  She took one step back: he, one step forward.  

            "Why do you pursue me?" she asked with a voice not at all like her own.  The creature's grin grew wider.

            "You will find out soon enough," he said as he raised a hand to caress her cheek.  His ice-cold fingers stung her warm skin, sending sharp pains throughout her body.  But as they lingered, something else began to flow through her blood—a dark but sensual feeling.  A feeling of power.

            "Yes...you feel it, don't you?  You feel the power that will be ours."  Reign tore away from his touch and raised her hand—with surreal bravery—to strike the man before her.  The Dark Lord laughed and took hold of her hair, pulling her face so close to his that she trembled under the influence of his hot breath against her own lips.  "You cannot stop the inevitable, Reign.  The darkness within you grows stronger with each beat of your heart.  It will only be a matter of time before it consumes you."  He reached down with his free hand and caressed the scar on her left wrist.  "Beautiful craftsmanship, I must say.  Couldn't have done it better myself."  He laughed once more as Reign struggled to break free of his grasp.  His fingers traced his mark upon her wrist, then they moved slowly up her arm and across her collarbone, to her neck and her cheek, and finally to her lips.  Reign felt the power and the darkness once more, and she was forced to bite her trembling lips to keep them from falling off.

The darkness surrounding them never lifted once through their encounter.  The only noticeable objects were the red eyes of the Dark Lord, which Reign watched as they scanned her face and smirked lustfully at her.  They moved silently down her body, stopping at her side.  His fingers followed his line of vision and rested upon her abdomen.  Reign winced as his grip tightened around the first scar he left her.  Voldemort leaned in and rested his cheek against hers, whispering in her ear.

            "Until we meet again."  He plunged his long fingernails into her vulnerable skin.  Reign screamed as the pain consumed her, but it could not drown out the shrill laughter of the Dark Lord.

***

The elf sprang from her pillow, gasping for breath as her hand flew to her side.  She doubled over as the area throbbed beneath her touch.  Falling back onto the pillow, she wiped her cold sweat from her brow and assumed the fetal position.  She squeezed her eyes tight and sobbed into the soft cushion.

            _Oh, poor little elf.  Whatever is the matter?_

She didn't answer.  The tears poured freely from her eyes.  She was crying so hard that every muscle had tightened in her body and she had stopped breathing.

            _Oh I know why you cry, little elf.  You have realized that you really can't stop him from seeking you out...because you don't know what it is he's after.  _

The voice inside her head laughed hysterically at her anguish.  She relaxed slightly in order to pound the pillow in her frustration.

            _So powerless, the voice sighed,__ perhaps you should have driven that arrow straight into your heart instead of your wrists.  More shrill laughter rang inside her head as she lifted herself from her cushion, wincing as the pain in her side returned.  Her hands flew to her hair and pulled at the strands.  The laughter still resonated inside her troubled mind._

            "I will _not_ succumb to him," she whispered.  The laughing grew even louder and more hysterical.  "I will _not_ lose," she said a little louder.  She imagined the faceless voice would have tears in its eyes by now from the sound of its hideous giggles.

            "I WILL NOT LOSE!" she screamed.  Her voice echoed off the walls of her chambers and silenced the laughter.  Reign looked around as her breathing slowly returned to normal.  Her eyes stopped at the door to her office.  After throwing the covers from her frozen body, she stumbled over to the door and threw it open. 

Outside the stars were not to be seen.  The elf frowned at the absence of their sparkle.  Upon her shelves were rows of her own potions.  She clumsily pushed them around until she found the sleeping potion she was looking for.  The pale blue liquid beckoned to her as she removed the cork and lifted the vial to her lips.  Almost immediately she began to feel its effects.  Her entire body began to relax—the pain once immediate now dissipating.  She turned around and fell back into the shelves.  Vials and papers fell about her as if in a colorful and painless dream.  

As she sank to the floor an object fell perfectly into her open palms.  A tear fell silently down her cheek as her blurry vision recognized the small globe Severus had given her so many years ago.

***

Reign awoke in almost more pain than she had felt last night.  She had fallen asleep on the cold wooden floor of her office, and it did nothing for her aching body.  A long groan escaped her lips as she lifted herself from the floorboards and rubbed her neck.  Below her lay the vial she had consumed the previous night, and next to it, the globe.  The elf picked it up and stared at its contents as she leaned against the shelves.  The sun poured through her windows and cast a heavenly light upon the object.  Reign smiled as some of the leaves burst into flames, while others grew a crisp frost.  Her fingers traced the glass as the flowers within it bloomed under their shadow.  

            "Truly remarkable," she whispered, repeating the description Severus had given the gift.  She slowly and painfully lifted herself from the floor and placed the sphere on her desk.  After dusting herself off and stretching, she replaced all the bottles that had fallen back onto their appropriate shelf.  On her way out of her office she took the globe from her desk and placed it on her nightstand by her bed.  

***

Her ears felt more sensitive than usual as she entered the Great Hall for breakfast.  The room exploded with noise as she walked to her seat at the staff table.  Harry waved as she passed by, but she failed to notice.  She was too tired, too exhausted, and too hungry to acknowledge him.

There was no way, however, to avoid acknowledging Helena.  Reign returned a weak smile to her friend as she sat next to her.  Professor Saxon frowned at the sight of the elf; great bags sagged under her swollen eyes, her usual bright cheeks sank into her face, and the vibrant spark in her eyes was nowhere to be found.  Before she could ask if Reign was all right, breakfast materialized onto their plates.  Reign shakingly picked up her fork and knife.  As she cut through her potatoes, her utensils slipped from her hands and clattered onto her plate.

            "Reign, are you all right?"  Helena asked from her side.

            "Yes, yes...I'm fine," she said quickly as she reached for her goblet.  She could feel her friend's eyes upon her and her anxiety grew.  No longer could she control the convulsions in her hands, and they knocked her goblet over before she even knew their plan.  Herbal tea flooded the table, soaking the tablecloth and everything upon it.  Helena jumped back from the table to avoid being splashed by the drink.  Reign watched as the dark liquid fell to the floor.  Her whole body was now trembling as she sat in her seat.  Most of the teachers and a few of the students were now staring curiously at her.  

            "Reign, what's wrong?" Helena demanded.

            "I'm fine...I just had a rough night," came the automatic response.  She raised her head to find both Albus and Severus coming toward her.  The Headmaster was the first to reach her.  His eyes grew wide as he surveyed her unnatural state.

            "Reign, child, are you all right?"  Reign clenched her fists.

            "I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth.  Severus appeared from behind Dumbledore.  He drew his eyebrows together and leaned in to her.

            "Reign--"

            "I SAID _I'M FINE!!!" she screamed.  Silence followed her outburst as the entire Hall turned to stare in her direction.  She gasped for breath as her eyes darted from the stern face of Severus, to the twinkling eyes of Albus, then to the concerned face of Helena, and the shocked faces of the student body, and finally back to the Potions Master.  She fell into his arms, shaking uncontrollably and muttering into his robes._

            "I'm fine...I'm fine..." 


	31. Time and Time Again

Chapter Thirty-One

Time and Time Again

While everyone in the Hall was fixated on the shattered elf, Caelan managed to slip out unnoticed.  When the doors closed behind her, she broke into a clumsy run.  Oxygen seeped into her body in short, violent spurts, while her heart beat at an irregular pace.  The world seemed to be spinning as she fell repeatedly into various brick walls and statues, even going so far as to skew a picture and not even notice as the red-faced man within the painting yelled at her to fix her mistake.  Beads of perspiration dotted her forehead and soaked her neck and the small of her back.  Her pace slowed as her symptoms intensified.  It was as if a heavy weight sat upon her chest, turning breathing into a very difficult task.  

Caelan paused to clutch her chest and catch her breath.  Her hand rested against a window, and she could feel the tiny vibrations of pounding water against the pane.  It was raining outside—only a gentle shower, but rain nonetheless.  The girl took no heed to the change in weather and continued her journey to the nearest girls' bathroom.  

She could feel the bile rising in her stomach.  She knew she was going to be sick.  But she wasn't sure _why._

The fear and anxiety Reign had felt as she entered the Hall sought out Caelan to torture her in the same way.  She watched the elf as she fumbled with her dining utensils, and she could see the pain in her eyes.  When she spilled the goblet, it was because the pain in her side had returned.

Caelan knew because she had felt it too.

She had no way of explaining it, but ever since the elf arrived at Hogwarts Caelan felt a strange attraction to her.  Besides the obvious physical similarities, she felt as if somehow they were connected by some sort of surreal power—something Caelan couldn't understand.

And now she was starting to feel her pain.  Literally.

The door to the bathroom stall crashed open and Caelan fell to the floor, spilling the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl.  Tears fell from her eyes as the muscles of her throat were burned by the remains of her breakfast.  It was a reflex she couldn't control, a disgusting and painful event, but after it was over her stomach felt so much better.

The cool porcelain provided relief for her burning forehead.  She rested against the bowl as her breathing returned to a normal pace.  One hand reached over to pull a sheet of toilet paper from the wall and gently wiped her mouth.  Her body ached as she pulled herself from the hard floor and flushed the toilet.  

As she washed her hands and face, her reflection laughed at her.

***

            "I'm fine...I'm fine."  Reign felt a tingling sensation as she lifted herself out of Snape's arms.  

Her eyes bulged when she looked upon his face; he wasn't looking at her, but to where she had been.  His eyes did not blink, his chest did not rise, and his muscles did not twitch.  Reign fell back, panting, as she surveyed the rest of the room; every soul stood frozen.  She felt like she was in a wax museum as she looked from face to face—the normal twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes was now a constant shine, Helena was reaching to wipe the excess tea from her robes, and nearly every student was looking at Severus...where she was supposed to be.  Above her plate, a small housefly hung suspended in the air, and as she looked to the ceiling, not a single flame of the candles flickered.

But it was over as soon as it started; a strange jolt waved over her and everything came back to life.  Severus nearly fell over from lack of her support.  He looked strangely confused.  His arms were empty; Reign had disappeared.  He stared at his hands while Albus looked up to Reign.  He didn't seem upset, or extremely concerned, but rather...almost...surprised.  

It was a look that he never wore, and Reign was taken back by it.  As heads followed his line of sight to the young elf, her breathing increased once again.  Severus raised an eyebrow at her, but she had no explanation.  Her mouth hung open as she began to stutter.  The Potions Master walked toward her with caution.  Over her shoulder, Reign noticed that she was still the object of most of the students' attention.

            "I'm sorry...please excuse me," she stammered, pushing through Snape and the Headmaster.  She took one of the side doors out of the Great Hall at a quick pace, but when she made it into the dark corridor, she fell against the wall.  As she rested, a pair of hands grasped her shoulders, and a silky voice floated to her ears.

            "Reign, tell me what's going on," Severus asked as she turned to face him.  Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were glazed over.

            "I don't know...I need to rest," she whispered.  

Severus escorted the elf back to her chambers, supporting her with one arm behind her back while she draped hers over his shoulder.  He had offered to carry her, but she refused.

            "I am not that fatigued.  I'll be fine," she had insisted.

Severus gently sat her on her bed when they entered her chambers.  She fell back onto the covers and draped an arm over her forehead while Snape went and retrieved a glass of water and a damp washcloth from her bathroom.

            "Thank you," she whispered as he dabbed the cloth onto her hot skin.  She held it there while he helped lift her to sit against the pillows.  

            "Well?" he asked.  He didn't need to say anything else.  Reign told him of her nightmare, and then of her encounter with a standstill world.  Severus listened quietly as she spoke, soaking everything in.  When she finished, he scratched his chin thoughtfully.

            "Hmm…"

            "What is it?  You look as though you've figured something out."  He got up from her side and went to the window.  The rain still fell, pulling a gray shade over the world.

            "This has happened twice, correct?"  She nodded.

            "Yes...at random times and places...no control whatsoever..." she drifted off.  "It was almost as if..." Severus turned around.

            "Time stopped."

            "Yes."

            "But you didn't."

            "_Yes."  He glided swiftly back to her side._

            "Reign, is there any such power that may be extremely rare among your people...like this of stopping time?"  The elf shook her head.  

            "How do you know that _I'm_ the one controlling it?  I can't even do such a thing!"

            "Well that's obvious...you're the only one who wasn't 'frozen' when it happened."

            "But..." she paused.  "Oh _Kor…"  She looked up into Snape's dark pools.  "Is that why--" The man nodded._

            "Can you just imagine how easy it would be for him to take over the world if he could stop time?"  Reign's face fell into her hands and she began to rock back and forth, shaking her head and muttering.

            "No...no...not this...why me!?" she screamed at the ceiling.  "I can't believe this, Severus.  I don't want this...not at all."      

            "I hardly think you have a choice in the matter."

            "I just don't understand...this sort of thing doesn't happen to me...it's not even common among elves...or any other creature for that matter..." She looked pleadingly into his eyes.  "What do I do?"  Severus leaned back against her headboard.

            "Well, it sounds like you need to take a trip."

            "Back home?"

            "Mmm hmm."

            "And you?" she asked hopefully.

            "I suppose I should start packing."

Reign's heart leapt into her throat.  She closed her eyes, bent her head, and smiled.  He flinched at her touch as she placed her hand on top of his.

            "Thank you, Severus."  He looked into her eyes—into the most grateful soul he had ever seen.

            "For your protection."  He kissed her forehead.  Reign let out a sigh as he got up from the bed.

            "And for an adventure?"  He stopped and she saw him shudder.  She imagined his teeth were clenched and his upper lip was twitching.

            "Hopefully a fairly uneventful one, if any."  He looked back at her.  "Try to get some rest."  Reign smiled at his back as he left.  She folded her arms behind her head and leaned back into the pillows.

She was going home.

And Severus was coming with her.

Perhaps life would be better for her now.  A change was taking place, and she finally felt like she was ready for it.  

***

Please review.

NOTE:  I just wanted to say thanks to all my devoted readers, especially:  The Bard of Skheria, Werecat99, messenger, SibilantSibyl, and Butterfly.  Words cannot express my gratitude.  Thank you so very much for everything. 


	32. Darkness Falls

Just a couple more, guys.  Just a couple more reviews and I will be at that sacred of all numbers…100!  Please help me achieve this goal…please tell others about my story…I'll give you something.  

I promise.  

Candy, perhaps?  No, the airports would think it was a bomb.  

Money?  No, I have none of that.  

A new chapter?  Ooo…maybe.  

A whole new book?  Most definitely!

Chapter Thirty-Two

Darkness Falls

Caelan was not fortunate enough to get any sleep that night.  She had seen, heard, even felt the signs...something was going to happen.  

Something _was_ happening.  

And she knew it had something to do with her.

But what?

A million questions flooded her mind, all without answers.  

In the past few months, the whispers in her dreams had increased in intensity.  The voice which spoke to her was at first smooth and soothing, often luring her to sleep.  Now it kept her awake...it had become more demanding.  It coaxed her and pulled at her, trying to convince her...if only she would succumb...she would learn...soon.

Caelan knew she was different.  She never felt as if she was entirely human.  She didn't feel the same emotions and couldn't relate to the familiar archetypes embedded in everyone else's unconscious.  

Never once had she cried at a funeral or been scared of the dark.

And now, as her graduation from Hogwarts grew near, she was finally afraid of something—being out on her own.  Having no one to protect her...from whoever or whatever was after her.

She shivered and drew her sheets up to her chin.  The shadows danced around her, in and out of the moonlight, over her bed and around her room.  She had left her bed open to the room—fearful of what might approach the bed behind her drapes while she slept.  

The shadows whispered to her, kissed her skin and played with her hair.  Instead of brushing them away, she welcomed them.

Perhaps they really did have answers for her, as they stated.  They comforted her and eased her loneliness.

            _The window, they whispered.  Caelan looked across her room just as the window eased open, letting the cool night's air slip into the room and under her sheets.  She flinched as the icy fingers crept over her soft skin and up to her lips, into her mouth and lungs.  She sucked in the frigid air and rose from her pillow as she exhaled.  Her roommates were sound asleep in their beds.  They did not have the questions she had; their untroubled minds allowed them to rest._

            _The window, beckoned the shadows again.  Caelan slipped out of the safety of her bed and over to the open pane.  She did not flinch as a stronger breeze ruffled her nightshirt.  Instead of embracing herself she opened her arms to the night and closed her eyes as the wind whirled around her body, whipping at her hair and clothes.  As the funnel intensified, Caelan had the strange and amazing sensation of flying.  _

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a clearing deep within the woods.

The girl stumbled back from the shock of her sudden change in surroundings.  The space was crowded with trees around the outer edge of the ten-foot circle.  She looked up to the sky and saw a starless night.  The moon had long been hidden behind dark clouds, leaving her in total darkness.  

Her head snapped down as she heard the familiar rustle of fabric.  She squinted into the darkness as she attempted to grow accustomed to the blackness.  A soft pale object caught her eye as a hand stretched out toward her from a few feet in front of her.

She gasped and fell back onto the hard ground as the dark shape floated into her view.  It was a man clothed completely in black.  His face was shielded under an immense hood and the cloak dragged ominously over the ground as he moved toward her.  The deathlike hand stretched out once again, its paleness emitting its own light in the darkness surrounding the figures.

Caelan felt a rush of trust as the figure approached.  Suddenly feeling very safe, she reached up and took hold of the hand, ignoring the icy shiver it spread through her body as it helped her off the ground.

The man in black did not let go of her when she was standing...and Caelan did not pull away.  Her eyes tried to penetrate the hood to see the face of this strange being.  She dared not move, or blink, or even breath.  

            "Welcome, Caelan."  The girl shivered as the man spoke her name.  Letting go of her hand, he lifted his to her cheek.  Her heartbeat quickened as the arctic fingers caressed her skin.  She let out a small sigh as it traced her lips.  

The man smiled beneath his cloak.

            "Do you know why I have brought you here?" he asked.  She recognized his voice; it was the same voice that spoke to her in her dreams.  But were they really dreams?  She wasn't so sure anymore.

She shook her head; her voice had left her long ago—the moment she opened her eyes to find herself in his presence.

            "Because it is time," he said simply.  

            "I don't understand," she managed to choke out.  The figure smiled again, unbeknownst to Caelan.

            "Of course not.  You were not supposed to understand...until now."  The man moved closer to her.  Caelan could feel the power, the darkness, dripping off of him.  It soaked her skin and seeped into her heart.

            "Yes...you feel it, don't you?  You have felt it for months now."

            "What is it?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

            "The power with which I created you."  Caelan raised her head with wide eyes.  "You have often wondered why you seem so different from your peers..."     

            "Yes."

            "And why you look so much like the elf..."

            "Yes."

            "And why you feel her joy, her pain..."

            "Yes," she replied, softer.

            "And why you look so similar to her..."  He pushed his hand gently through her hair—the only thing that did not resemble Reign…the only thing that did not come out as he planned.  

But that did not matter.  He had her now; he could feel her shaking beneath his touch.  Shaking because of the fear, the power, and the possibilities.

            "I still don't-"

            "Yes, you do," interrupted the man, "you just haven't admitted it to yourself.  You know deep inside that you are different."  He brushed back her hair to gaze at her ears.  "It is so difficult to recreate an elf," he sighed, "but not so difficult to recreate their powers."  Caelan had stopped shaking.  Her stubborn and impatient nature broke through and she pulled back from the man.

            "Stop playing games with me-" he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into him.

            "Ah, but games are so much fun to play," he whispered.  "Especially when you win."  Caelan felt light-headed as he held her tight to his body.  Her legs began to feel weak as the man smirked.  "Yes, that's it...yield to your creator, Caelan.  Succumb to your master."

            "Yes…master," she breathed as the world began to fall out from under her.

            "It is time to begin your journey into darkness."    

***

Please review.

Disclaimer: Just so I don't get sued, I think 'Darkness Falls' is a name of a movie.  So yeah, there you have it.


	33. BAH

For those of you who haven't yet figured it out:

Book the Second is officially done.  Yes, I know what you're thinking:  WHAT? 

Just take a few deep breaths and calm down.  The series is not over, by any means.  That would just be ridiculous…

Book the Third has officially been started.  So if you want to continue the journey (which I really hope you do!) you can find the rest of Reign's story there.

As for this book…I hope you liked it ;) 


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